MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded nine grants totaling $757,836 to organizations that offer mentoring, job training and other services to help young people lead productive lives.
The grants will fund programs that focus on providing life skills to help at-risk youth avoid or recover from involvement with the juvenile justice system.
“Without positive influences in their lives, young people can be led down a path of destructive decisions and wasted potential,” Gov. Ivey said. “I commend these organizations for their work to guide children in a positive direction.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“These programs focus on prevention, recovery and education for at-risk youth,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in support of these services that help young people learn to lead healthy and prosperous lives.”
Below are grants to local agencies that provide direct services to youth:
Vineyard Family Services of Central Alabama Inc. – $100,000 for a program that provides young people and their families with tools to boost skills such as workforce readiness, money management and conflict resolution in Shelby County.
St. Clair County Day Program – $51,189 to the Guide Lead Advance and Discover program, which combines therapeutic services with guidance and career readiness training for high-risk adolescents in St. Clair County.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham – $85,562 to provide positive role models for youth in Jefferson and Montgomery counties.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals Inc. – $63,203 to fund a dedicated staff member to serve as the family relations and match support specialist for the organization, which serves Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale counties.
Extended Family – $100,000 to continue to provide the character development programs Extended Family for Kids and Extended Family Leadership Academy in DeKalb and Etowah counties.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley – $66,942 for the Pathways to Prevention Program, which trains high school students to serve as mentors for elementary school students in Madison County.
Goodwill Industries of the Gulf Coast – $99,999 to expand pre-employment training and GED services for middle and high school students in Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties.
Family Counseling Center of Mobile Inc. – $100,000 for programs to strengthen families and keep children in the home in Mobile County.
Family Connection Inc. – $90,941 for the Therapeutic Outreach Prevention Program, which provides in-school prevention services for middle and high school students and aftercare services to strengthen families in Shelby County.
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
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