Several graduates of the Oakland County drug court programs will be presented with $1,000 scholarships during a special ceremony scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23.
Officials from The RESTORE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to privately funding the Oakland County Drug Treatment Courts, announced recently that the Joshua Charles Short Drug Court Scholarship Fund Committee will be presenting the fund’s first awards at an official ceremony at the Oakland County Courthouse on Sept. 23 at l p.m. RESTORE’S president, Circuit Court Judge Wendy Potts, will preside over the event in her courtroom.
The fund, a new program with RESTORE, provides educational scholarships for eligible drug court graduates and will be awarded annually to up to four applicants per year for up to $1,000 each.
Michigan-based Shore Mortgage established the fund in memory of Joshua Charles Short, who passed away in late 2008.
The scholarships are available to drug court graduates who are enrolled in or have been accepted to a college or vocational program, and who continue to bear evidence of sobriety after graduation from the Oakland County Drug Treatment Courts.
“The scholarship fund provides a valuable tool for our graduates to continue their commitment to leading healthy and productive lives,” said Potts. “We thank Shore Mortgage for the company’s donation to establish the fund and look forward to awarding future scholarships to our graduates.”
Suzanne Okun, Joshua Short’s mother and member of the selection committee, added, “I am truly inspired by the work of RESTORE, and I am grateful for the donor who has provided the seed money for a scholarship fund that will support individuals as they reach their educational and vocational goals. It is a kind tribute to my son’s memory.”
Applications, available at www.therestorefoundation.org, can be submitted to RESTORE by December 1 and May 1 of each year.
A review committee comprised of a circuit court judge selected by the chief judge, the president of The RESTORE Foundation, and a representative from the community select the scholarship winners based upon acceptance in a college or vocational program and continued sobriety after graduation from the Oakland County Drug Treatment Courts.
As a requirement for award, scholarship recipients should remain active members of the treatment court alumni group and may be asked to mentor other participants or speak at The RESTORE Foundation or Oakland County Drug Treatment Court events.
Founded in 2008 by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Potts, The RESTORE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to restoring hope and dignity by helping individuals overcome substance abuse to the benefit of themselves, their families, and society by sustaining the Oakland County Drug Courts through private funding.
The goal of the Oakland County Juvenile Drug Court and Adult Treatment Court is to reduce recidivism rates, decrease substance abuse in the community, prevent the overcrowding of Oakland County jails, resulting in long-term savings to taxpayers.
For additional information concerning RESTORE and the Joshua Charles Short Scholarship Fund, visit www.therestorefoundation.org
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