ROCKINGHAM — A planned treatment center for women with substance abuse issues is one step closer to becoming a reality.
Quality Oil and Gas recently applied for and received a $5,000 grant from Motiva (Shell) for Samaritan Colony. The Rockingham company is a distributor of Shell petroleum products.
“Through our affiliation with Shell, I learned about the Community Charity Fund and their mission to help with substance abuse treatment programs,” said Gene McLaurin, president of Quality Oil and Gas.
“I’m always looking for ways to help local organizations and my friend, Harold Pearson, had told me about the work he, Constance, the Samaritan staff and his board were doing to open a treatment center for women,” he added. “I wrote the grant application and was pleased to learn we had been approved.”
Pearson, the center’s director, said Thursday that they were notified of the award late last year.
“We’re always grateful for anything,” he said.
Pearson added that he wasn’t really surprised when the grant was awarded because, “I felt that if Gene was behind it … it was probably a done deal.”
McLaurin said he as always been impressed with Samaritan’s track record of helping people deal with drug and alcohol abuse.
Last year, McLaurin helped former state Senate colleague Josh Stein, now attorney general, host an opioid treatment and awareness workshop in Richmond County.
“We need this type facility badly,” he said. “Samaritan Colony is already treating men and have done phenomenal in helping hundreds of men regain their lives. The Women’s Center will serve the same purpose.”
Samaritan Colony has been helping men overcome alcohol and drug abuse at its 12-bed facility since February of 1975.
Pearson said the center was awarded its certificate of need from the state for the 14-bed women’s facility on Saturday.
He and his wife are scheduled to meet with the architect on Friday and Pearson says he hopes to have a groundbreaking soon.
The new facility is expected to be open and treating female patients by July of 2020.
