BELCHERTOWN — The town’s Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee is looking for additional projects to fund using money won in pharmaceutical lawsuits, now that an after-school program at Jabish Brook Middle School has come to an end.
Gail Gramarossa, chair of the committee, came before the Select Board during its Oct. 20 meeting to give updates on past projects, pitch prospective programs and approve the sober home Honest Beginnings request for driveway repayment.
“Doing this kind of capital expenditure, particularly for existing services around maintenance of access to treatment and recovery programs, is directly listed in the statewide guidelines,” Gramarossa said. “We feel like this is a crucial resource in our community.”
As of April 4, 2024, Belchertown has received more than $323,000 in settlement funds. Municipalities are expected to receive payments through 2039. Gramarossa said that the town is joining two other lawsuits, one against Purdue Pharma and another against a series of smaller pharmaceutical companies, that could extend the money past its original timeline.
Previously, the Select Board approved $50,000 for the after-school program at Jabish Brook. From September 2024 to May 2025, staff provided students with academic support, arts and crafts and exercise opportunities. A report on the program shows low attendance throughout the year, with only 193 students participating and an average of 40 to 50 students per session.
“Even though it wasn’t the numbers they were looking for, they feel that it was a positive program,” Select Board member Whitney Jorns-Kuhnlenz said.
Students who attended regularly reaped the social benefits, the report says. In order to improve attendance, organizers plan to discuss activity options with students, reach out to parents about scheduling conflicts, offer flexible or rotating club options and collaborate with other local organizations.
The Select Board last spring also OK’d $160,000 for development of a contingency plan for the Drug Free Communities program. The community program brings together the school department, Belchertown Overcoming Adversity Together, and other local groups to educate residents on drug and alcohol prevention.
Belchertown applied for the Center for Disease Control’s Drug-Free Communities grant, but the federal government announced in a statement that applicants will “recompete” to “ensure that applicants are in compliance with the President’s Executive Orders.”
Also last spring, $28,800 was awarded to Honest Beginnings to fund enrollment fees. The sober living facility specifically works with men in recovery. Gramarossa said the facility has kept on tract with two new enrollments each month.
Now, Honest Beginnings has returned to the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee with an application to repave their driveway. The facility has a responsibility to be a good neighbor, Gramarossa said, and that includes the upkeep of their driveway. Maintaining grounds is also critical for the organization to preserve its Massachusetts Alliance of Sober Housing certification.
Applications for projects are accepted on a rolling basis. For now, the advisory committee plans to establish a Family Overdose Support Program that covers funeral expenses, mental health support, support for children, and legal fees after a loved-one’s death from opioid overdose. Similar programs have already been created in other towns.
“When there is an overdose, it affects the whole family unit,” Select Board Chair Lesa Pearson said. “So that kind of work, and especially the unexpected expenses, is important.”