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The Escambia County Children’s Policy Council announced Oct. 20 that it has received $105,000 of grants to help implement programs in the Atmore community.

Executive Director Karean Reynolds said that he submitted competing applications with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Alabama Department of Abuse and Neglect to secure funding to address issues in the Atmore area.

“Youth in the Atmore community suffer from barriers that include socio-economic disadvantages, lack of resources and several factors that negatively affect the community,” Reynolds said in a release. “I believe that these programs will offer opportunities and motivate our youth to set goals and work hard to achieve them. It has been a goal of mine for years to secure resources that will benefit the community and provide opportunities.”

Reynolds said the funding will provide a youth drop-in center where youth will be able to access the Internet, tutoring, drug awareness, services, mentoring services, youth resources, counseling, sexual prevention, healthy alternatives to high risk behaviors and several other services.

Escambia County District Judge Eric Coale said the program is vital and necessary “as it will add an extra level of protection to our youth and help deter them from the criminal justice system.”