BUCKHANNON — Buckhannon City Council has been given an update on West Virginia Wesleyan College’s addiction counseling program, which received $1.2 million in state grants earlier this year.

During Council’s July 2 meeting, Mayor Robbie Skinner and council members were given an update on the City of Buckhannon and WVWC’s Addiction & Recovery Workforce Development Scholarship. The update was proven by Dr. Jen Randall Reyes, Director of Counseling and Psychology at WVWC, and Dr. Christine Schimmel, WVWC’s Associate Provos.

“Let me start with a really heartfelt thank you to all of you,” Reyes said to Council during the July 2 meeting. “I think that what you did in granting us this funding through your opioid abatement pot is something that the West Virginia First Foundation absolutely took notice of.”

In January, the West Virginia First Foundation awarded WVWC a total of $1.2 as part of the foundation’s new Momentum Initiative Grants. The first grant, $947,916 awarded under the WVFF’s Foster Care & Non-Parental Caregivers target area, supports a statewide initiative in partnership with West Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (WV CASA) build capacity and expand the work of CASA staff and volunteers through training programs designed to empower innovation and strengthen existing work with foster parents and non-parental caregivers.

The second grant, a $246,125 award under the Behavioral Health & Workforce Development target area, supports the addiction counseling workforce by expanding access to WVWC’s Addiction Counseling Graduate Certificate program.

Reyes informed Council that the program had just concluded its first summer institute, which saw more than 100 CASA staff and volunteers from around the state. She stated the institute had people from around the state coming to Buckhannon for the first time and enjoying the city.

Schimmel noted that former West Virginia University wide receiver Graeson Malashevich’s grandparents attended the institute and planned to return to the city.

“They said all the trips that they’ve made up and down I-79, they’ve never been to Buckhannon,” Schimmel told the council. “They came a night early… and Graeson’s grandfather told me as they left, ‘We’re coming back to Buckhannon. We’re going to stay here. We’re going to go to Elkins and ride the train. We want to eat at the Whistlestop.’ I mean, (the institute) brought in that kind of attention to Buckhannon.”

Reyes stated that, while the scholarship program did have a “slow start with scholarship recipients,” that was not the case going into the program’s second year. They have already seen five or six Buckhannon residents in applicant pool and three residents who are “locked in” to receive a scholarship.”

Reyes also informed Council that the program “under-promised and over-delivered” on its efforts this year, including with how the first responder funds from the $1.2 million grant have been used since the grant was awarded.

“So really, we’ve only got good things to report,” Reyes said. “You know, not only has it gone well to date, we’re looking forward to even increased enrollment this fall and in the spring… We’re just pleased.”

Buckhannon City Council will meet again at 7 p.m. July 16 at Buckhannon City Hall.