Homer’s Kachemak Bay Recovery Connection announced to the Homer News the receipt of a grant from the State of Alaska Opioid Settlement. The three-year funding of $142,742 that will be renewed annually will allow the organization to hire their first program manager, a position announced last week by the organization’s vice president, Willy Dunne. The organization was incorporated in Homer in 2022 and until now has been operating with a volunteer board of nine, four committee members and general community support and sponsorship.

The Statewide Opioid Settlement grant is part of the National Opioid Settlement funds and will help Alaska communities address the current opioid epidemic. The state funds were divided into seven regions with a total of 21 awards provided. Homer is part of the Gulf Coast Region, including communities in the range from Kodiak to Valdez. Additional grantees in this region are Central Peninsula Hospital and Set Free, also located in Homer. Funding for the grants is provided by opioid manufacturers and distributors, Dunne said.

KBRC is currently moving into their new office space, the Recovery Community Center, at 111 W. Pioneer Avenue next to Don Jose’s restaurant. According to Dunne and board member Shannon Honebrink, they don’t have an established date for opening the building for public access.

Once the program manager is hired, that person will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility.

In addition to the program manager, the grant will also provide funding for two peer support specialists. Dunne said the general service area for the organization is the southern Kenai Peninsula as well as the communities of Seldovia, Nanwalek and Port Graham across the bay. Dunne noted he hopes to increase service opportunities to communities at the head of the bay, also. These include: Voznesenka, Razdolna and Kachemak Selo.

The peer support specialists will use the Faces and Voices of Recovery Data Platform. This is a national tool to help accurately manage data and provide technical assistance to peer support staff by focusing on the power of “quantitative and qualitative data stories,” according to the Faces and Voices of Recovery website. Although those two positions are not advertised yet, both Dunne and Honebrink said they would encourage interested individuals to reach out to the KBRC board for more information.

The Recovery Connection building on Pioneer Avenue is not open yet and the person hired for the position is going to have the opportunity to contribute many basic details to the design and structure of the building, Dunne said. The organization is currently in the process of renovating and are hoping to have a holiday open house at some point in December.

Dunne said the organization serves a rough estimate of 350 individuals.

For more information on the program manager position or to apply, see the organization website www.kbayrecovery.org. Honebrink said the position will be open for 45 days.