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Newberg Rotary club helps Thugs have a home |
By Amanda
Newman, Newberg Graphic intern
E-mail Amanda at
anewman@eaglenewspapers.com
|
When Thugz Off Drugz began its
Yamhill County program, Sean Navarre gave a presentation to the
Newberg Rotary Club about the organization. The club was so excited
about the program, they invited him to become a Rotarian.
It was a trade off. Navarre, the Yamhill County Thugz Off Drugz
program director, became involved in the Rotary club and the
Rotarians began contributing to Thugz.
“They donated time and money and a couple (Rotarians) became board
members,” Navarre said. “They donate a bed a month. They’ve donated
books and audio books to our houses ... almost a whole library’s
worth.”
Recently, several Newberg Rotarians got together and purchased a
house for the program.
Thugz Off Drugz works to reduce crime by providing emergency
housing, food and clothing for individuals suffering or recovering
from drug or alcohol addictions. The organization works with other
agencies to provide counseling, education and job placement
services.
Thugz, which began in Seaside, currently runs programs in Clatsop,
Lincoln and Yamhill counties. The Yamhill County program, based in
McMinnville, operates three houses — for men, women and women with
children — with a total of 58 bed spaces.
According to the Thugz Off Drugs Web site (www.thugzoffdrugz.com),
Oregon is 49th in the nation for providing alcohol or drug addiction
treatment and fourth in the nation for needing it. In Yamhill
County, methamphetamine abuse is one of the main culprits.
“The meth addiction is such a problem in Yamhill County,” said Mike
Caruso of the Newberg Rotary Club. “We feel that it’s critical that
these people receive help.”
“A lot of the time, they don’t have a choice (about addiction),”
Navarre said. “We try to give them the ability to have a choice.”
“(Thugz Off Drugz) takes care of people who have no where to go,”
Caruso said. “They’re pretty active in the community ... (and) it’s
been found that wherever they open a facility, the crime rate goes
down.”
Thugz Off Drugz works with the Rotary Club on the Hess Creek
Project, a combined effort of the club and George Fox University to
clean up and restore a section of Hess Creek.
“There’s been some really great things with (Newberg Rotary)
helping out,” Navarre said. “Everything’s been going really great.” |
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From July 25, 2007,
Newberg Graphic
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