Lawrence County Drug and DWI Court participants recognized for community service
The Lawrence County Drug and DWI Court Team recognized the community service of their present and past participants at the Lawrence County Drug and DWI Court Community Service Recognition Event at the MARC on Dec. 18. About 80 people attended.
“Current and past treatment court participants were recognized for leading and participating in volunteer service projects that have benefitted the community over the past year,” said Judge Scott Sifferman.
One of the projects for which the participants were recognized, said Sifferman, was the “The Reidle House Makeover Project,” which was started in “early 2019 and … completed in late December 2019.”
“The project involved more than 1,200 hours of volunteer work from more than 30 treatment court participants resulting in a complete home makeover of a run-down home,” Sifferman said. “The volunteers completed new plumbing, electrical rewiring, new flooring, walls, roof, restrooms and doors. The treatment court team calls this home-makeover project “The House That Sobriety Built,” recognizing the hard work the participants gave to rebuild a damaged home which is similar to the hard work they put in to rebuilding their lives through the Treatment Court program.”
There were other projects recognized at the event. Colton’s Cause, led by Dustin and Winter Reidle, Jaime Whittington, Dalphie Hartin and Josh McCulloch, is a project dedicated to preserving the memory of children lost in infancy; they provide headstones for the graves of children whose burial sites don’t have one.
Also recognized was the Highway Cleanup Project, an ongoing cleanup of Highways 60 and 39; Sifferman said more than 60 treatment court participants “have volunteered their time to keep the highway beautiful.”
There was also the Thanksgiving Community Dinner project, led by volunteers Jared Sheridan and Carla Wilson and involving over 30 drug court volunteers. Sifferman said the project provided Thanksgiving dinner for over 300 people in the community surrounding Aurora. It was the second year for the event.
Drug Court role models were also recognized. The role models, Sifferman said, include treatment court graduates and current participants “who provide leadership for the success of ongoing recovery programs within Lawrence County and southwest Missouri.”
“They have funded and hosted over 100 events over the past five years to help individuals succeed in recovery,” he said.
Another project which was recognized was the Children’s Project, which Sifferman said “is a non-profit organization providing the community with quality services.”
“Josh McCulloch founded, operates and leads the project which has provided funding for goods and services to many children in our community.”
Recovery Day
Finally, there was Recovery Day, which Sifferman described as “an annual community event to increase public awareness and provide support and encouragement” to those recovering from addictions.
“This year’s event was held in White Park in Aurora and an estimated 2,500 persons attended,” he said. “Carla Wilson and Jared Sheridan were project leaders for the event, and over 50 treatment court participants volunteered time and resources to make the event successful.”
Following the recognitions, Sifferman said, the treatment court participants and team members enjoyed a Christmas celebration.
In addition to Sifferman, the Lawrence County Drug and DWI Court Team includes: Prosecuting Attorney Don Trotter, Probation Officer Lorrie Tennison, treatment providers Karah Young and Jessica Brockmeir, and trackers Joey Skaggs and Robert Foulke.
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Lawrence County Record
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