$102,000 available for Avoyelles opioid abatement projects

Applications due Oct. 16; Police Jury has received $670,000 in settlement funds since 2023

By: Amy Ducote

The Avoyelles Parish Police Jury has $102,000 available for distribution through its latest round of opioid abatement funding, with organizations seeking funding required to submit proposals by Oct. 16.

The money comes from national opioid settlements intended to help communities address the effects of the opioid crisis through prevention, treatment, recovery and other approved abatement efforts. The funds are restricted to uses that comply with the requirements of the national settlement agreements and the Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Understanding.

According to information provided by the Police Jury, Avoyelles Parish has received $670,000 in opioid settlement funds since 2023.

The parish received $115,000 in July 2023, $115,000 in September 2024, $160,000 in February 2025 and $280,000 in August 2025.

Previous recipients have included the Washington Street Hope Center, Avoyelles Sleeves Up, Avoyelles Community Youth Coalition, Avoyelles Adult Drug Court and the Avoyelles Parish District Attorney’s Office.

In the July 2023 round, the Washington Street Hope Center received $20,000; Avoyelles Sleeves Up received $55,000; the Avoyelles Community Youth Coalition received $30,000; and Avoyelles Adult Drug Court received $10,000.

In September 2024, the Hope Center received $20,000; Sleeves Up, $50,000; the District Attorney’s Office, $7,500; the Youth Coalition, $28,000; and Adult Drug Court, $9,500.

The parish reported receiving $160,000 in February 2025. The itemized awards provided to the newspaper totaled $115,000, including $20,000 for the Hope Center, $55,000 for Sleeves Up, $30,000 for the Youth Coalition and $10,000 for Adult Drug Court.

The August 2025 funding totaled $280,000, with Adult Drug Court receiving $34,500; the Youth Coalition, $53,000; the District Attorney’s Office, $32,500; Sleeves Up, $85,000; and the Hope Center, $75,000.

Those awards show that the settlement funds have been distributed among several local organizations involved in prevention, recovery, treatment and other opioid-related services.

Funding proposals are first reviewed by the Avoyelles Parish Opioid Abatement Committee, which determines whether proposed uses comply with requirements of the Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Understanding.

The committee then makes recommendations to the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury, which takes final action on the awards by vote.

There is no separate maximum amount that an individual organization may request during the current funding round. However, the total available for all awards is limited to $102,000.

That means the amount awarded to each organization will depend on the proposals submitted, whether the proposed uses meet settlement requirements and the recommendations ultimately approved by the Police Jury.

The Police Jury said this year’s awards will be announced after the Opioid Abatement Committee completes its review and the Jury votes on the recommendations.

Avoyelles Parish is expected to continue receiving opioid settlement payments according to the schedules established under the various national settlements. The length of time and amount of future payments will vary depending on the individual settlement agreements and their distribution schedules.

The current round gives local organizations another opportunity to seek funding for programs aimed at reducing the impact of opioid misuse in Avoyelles Parish.