Foundation Awards Grants
Chris Hodges as seen in the High Point Enterprise - January 01, 2003
High Point police and fire departments receive money to continue programs to help children.
The police and fire departments recently received High Point Community Foundation grants to help sustain two community programs.
"The police department grant is going to support midnight basketball," said foundation Executive Director Paul Lessard.
The program started last year, said Detective Al Williams, as a way to keep youngsters off the street during the summer; "The theme of the program is teaching kids life skills."
Basketball is an incentive to get the youngsters to come. Through a series of workshops, girls and boys ages 10 - 17 learn about avoiding drugs, resolving conflict and preventing crime.
Last summer 74 children completed the program.
"We believe in investing in kids, especially kids from areas with a lot of issues." Lessard said.
The police department's midnight basketball program gives troubled children strong role models to look up to, Lessard said.
This is the second year the program has received a grant from the foundation, this one totaling $3,300.
The fire department will use a $5,800 foundation grant for its fire safety house program.
Fire Chief David Taylor said the house, which looks like a mobile home, will allow the department to teach children how to escape a burning house.
Although the safety house is designed for children, Taylor said adults and people with special needs can also use the house to learn about fire safety.
The money from the foundation will be used to purchase other supplies to go along with the house, including a vehicle to take it to local schools, Taylor said.