ROCKINGHAM — Samaritan Colony is getting more funding from Richmond County’s opioid settlement after a prior approved program backed out.
The Richmond County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the measure presented by Social Services Director Robby Hall on behalf of the Drug Endangered Family Task Force.
(Disclosure: This writer is a non-voting media representative of the task force.)
The $25,002 is half of what was initially awarded to the Richmond County Cooperative Extension in August 2023. Samaritan Colony and FirstHealth were also awarded program grants.
Click here to read about the grant awards.
However, Extension Director Paige Burns told DEFT in January that staffing issues prevented the agency from implementing the planned program.
It was at that meeting that Hall suggested splitting the funds between the other two recipients.
While DEFT is responsible for the recommendations on distribution of the settlement funds, commissioners have the final approval on how the money is spent.
Samaritan Colony was initially awarded $49,500 to support its residential treatment program.
Maggie Sergio, development director, said in January that allotment would cover the treatment for 15 local clients.
According to documents provided by Samaritan Colony included in the agenda packet, the center provides a 28-day, 12-step treatment program with the intention to “address three underlying areas of the human psyche that contribute to the disease of addiction … physical,
mental and spiritual.”
Samaritan Colony served 17 Richmond County residents through its program from August 2023 to January 2024. One of those individuals reportedly left the program against medical advice.
Fifteen of those clients were offered aftercare and all but one accepted.
“They have met all of their original agreements,” Hall told commissioners, “and so this money will allow them to continue to take Richmond County residents and provide services to them … for the remainder of this fiscal year.”
Commissioner Andy Grooms asked Hall if Samaritan Colony could be awarded the entire allotment instead of just half.
“I think Samaritan Colony does great work,” Grooms said.
Hall said it was possible, however because the resolution being presented was for only half, Grooms suggested awarding the other half at the April meeting.
Sergio also said in January that Samaritan Colony was “still on target” for the completion of its Women’s Recovery Center this summer with plans to open “shortly after that.”
“There’s a lot of women that need services,” Serggio said.
The new campus was first announced in 2018, the groundbreaking was held in 2022 and construction began in 2023.
In January, Samaritan Colony opened a drop-in resource center in Aberdeen where those with addiction issues can “sit down and talk to a peer support specialist.”
Sergio said the resource center is a collaboration between Samaritan Colony, the Sandhills Opioid Response Consortium and Pilgrim’s Progress.
“It’s been well received by the community and law enforcement and local government,” Sergio said.
A celebration is currently being planned for next year to commemorate Samaritan Colony serving the Sandhills for 50 years.
