MONTGOMERY – Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded $645,986 in grants for three programs to help at-risk youth in south Alabama receive education, mentoring and career assistance.
A $409,892 grant to the Regional Alliance 4 Children will help continue the Youth Enrichment Services Program in Dale, Geneva, Coffee and Covington counties. The Alfred Saliba Family Services Center will use a $138,770 grant to assist the Career Designs for Youth program in Houston County. A $97,323 grant to Auburn University’s Office of Sponsored Programs will help continue a youth program administered by the Hope Place Family Resource Center in Escambia County. Each program helps youth at risk of dropping out of school or drifting into delinquency by offering mentoring, tutoring and vocational counseling.
“When a troubled youth receives guidance and assistance to make better choices and focus on their future, it benefits all of us,” said Bentley. “I commend the dedicated staff who work in these programs to help participants continue their education and get job training.”
The grants are being administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Labor. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support workforce development, law enforcement, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation.
Julia Crowley of the Regional Alliance 4 Children, Linda O’Connell of the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center and John M. Mason of Auburn University’s Office of Sponsored Programs were notified of the grants’ approvals.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Mike Presley