Lewis County Community Services Awards $131,135 in Opioid Settlement Funds to Local Organizations

The Lewis County Community Services Board is excited to announce that a total of $131,135 in opioid settlement funds have been awarded to local organizations and projects, through the Future Stories Fund and feedback received from community members, leaders and stakeholders. The Future Stories Fund was designed to support organizations/entities of all sizes and origins in combating the effects of the opioid overdose epidemic. The following organizations were awarded Future Stories Funds to support upstream strategies that strengthen community institutions and address the mental health needs of young people:

• Lewis County Youth Bureau was awarded $10,000 for implementation of The Screenagers Project, which will provide Lewis County schools with access to films,
  curriculums and lesson plans that are designed to help youth safely navigate the digital world.
• Lowville Academy and Central School was awarded $11,135 to purchase a universal screener for social-emotional wellness that will proactively identify and provide
  immediate and actional support for at-risk students.
• Copenhagen Central School was awarded $20,000 to help families cover the costs of school-based mental health services and train staff in trauma-informed practices.

In addition to the Future Stories Fund awards, Lewis County Community Services will be dedicating $90,000 of opioid settlement funds to Bridges Out of Poverty Lewis County for six cohorts of Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World (GA). GA is a 20-session workshop series that provides people motivated to get out of poverty with the tools and support necessary to ‘Get Ahead’ in today’s world. While not exclusive to individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder, GA empowers individuals to build resources for success for themselves and future generations, integrate with the community and take (or regain) control of their lives.

For more information about Lewis County Community Services, including the Future Stories Fund grant program, please visit: Future Stories Fund – Lewis County, NY