Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jul 2005
Source: Brownsville Herald, The (TX)
Copyright: 2005 The Brownsville Herald
Contact: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/contact.php
Website: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1402
Author: Laura B. Martinez

FUNDS RUNNING THIN FOR PALMER DRUG PROGRAM

Serious funding shortfalls may force the local Palmer Drug Abuse 
Program center to close after September, its executive director said this week.

Suzanne Clifton says she worries about making payroll every two weeks 
and fears having to turn away clients for lack of paid staff to 
provide counseling and guidance at PDAP on Cottonwood Street.

"At this time I don't have any funding for after that (September) 
except a small funding from the city of Brownsville," Clifton said. 
"We have a serious timing problem."

For 22 years PDAP has served young adults with alcohol and substance 
abuse problems in Cameron County. PDAP has 305 clients, including 109 
from the Harlingen area.

The agency received $74,000 last year from Brownsville's Community 
Development Block Grant program and about $12,000 from the Cameron 
County District Attorney's Office drug forfeiture fund. And while 
those funds are not exhausted, Clifton wants to ensure the agency can 
continue operating until she can get approved for additional funding 
from the United Way of Southern Cam-eron County.

The agency applied for United Way funding last year, but did not meet 
the criteria, said Traci Wickett, president and CEO for the United 
Way of Southern Cameron County.

If approved this year, money would be available next June or July. 
Grant applications are also in the works, Clifton said, and donations 
are appreciated.

In the meantime, "I've got this nine-month dry spell," she said. "We 
are going to have to be very creative to make it through the next nine months."

The annual operating budget for PDAP is $190,000, including salaries 
for three full-time employees.

Olga Villarreal, a PDAP board member and CEO for Valley Federal 
Credit Union, said PDAP's funding problems are contributed to 
cutbacks from agencies that have supported them in the past, 
including the United Way and Brownsville Independent School District.

Villarreal believes part of the problem is that area businesses -- 
which could be another source of funding for PDAP services -- aren't 
knowledgeable about the program.

"I'm hoping that someone (in the community) has a big enough heart to 
do it (make a contribution to PDAP), Villarreal said.

"I feel that there is sometimes more support for the sale of it 
(drugs) than there is for the prevention."

Clifton has struggled to keep the nonprofit open since she took over 
as executive director in February. Clifton said PDAP's former board 
of directors voted to shut down the program when funds dwindled to 
$269, but she refused.

Instead, she cut employees' schedules for six weeks until the cash 
got flowing again. Volunteers kept the office going. Represen-tatives 
from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and former 
and current PDAP board members helped answer telephones, clean and 
perform other office work until the staff's schedules were restored.

Clifton took her case before the City Commission.

City Manager Charlie Cabler said he understands the agency's 
predicament and said the city will provide whatever assistance it 
can, as long as PDAP justifies its needs and expenditures.

"Our planning department that oversees these federal funding programs 
are affordable and she can go and sit down with them and they will 
discuss with her how to possibly access some more money for the 
upcoming fiscal year," Cabler said.

The United Way and city of Brownsville also aided the Boys & Girls 
Club earlier this month amid a financial crisis that threatened to 
shut down the club's summer programs.

Clifton hopes for similar contributions to keep PDAP running. She has 
sent letters to parishes in Brownsville seeking monthly do-nations of 
$100 or more.

"We cannot keep our doors open for the young people to have a place 
to go that is safe and drug free," her letter reads. "We can-not 
offer them the counseling and guidance that they need so badly during 
these formative years. We need the support of our com-munity."

To feed the agency's bank account, fund-raisers are being held, 
including an Aug. 1 raffle offering chances to win a trip to Las 
Vegas, a bay fishing trip and a television.

Brownsville businessman Elwyn Herman answered the call for help 
Wednesday with a $2,000 donation and video game equip-ment.

Herman, owner of South Texas Vending Inc., feels strongly about the 
services offered by PDAP and does not want to see the agency close.

"I feel that the kids and people on drugs, it is a sickness and 
nothing to be ashamed of," Herman said. "It's habit forming... They 
have problems and I feel that they need help."
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MAP posted-by: Beth