For Immediate Release: December 1, 2008
Contact: Friends of the Maui Drug Court friendsmauidrugcourt@gmail.com
Friends of the Maui Drug Court awarded $5,000 grant by Alexander & Baldwin Foundation
KAHULUI, Hawai`i – Friends of the Maui Drug Court has received a $5,000 grant from the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation, FMDC President S. Larry Schlesinger, M.D., announced today.
FMDC was founded in 1998 to advocate for the creation of a Drug Court within the State of Hawai`i's Second Circuit Court, based in Wailuku. The Drug Court model, which was initiated in Miami-Dade County, Fla., in 1989, provides non-violent offenders an opportunity to avoid or minimize incarceration upon completion of an intensive, judicially supervised substance abuse treatment program.
As a result of FMDC's advocacy, the Drug Court commenced operations in 2000. Since then, FMDC's mission has been to provide critical ancillary services to support the rehabilitation of Drug Court clients, including milestone awards, medical and dental treatment and child care. Nearly 300 former defendants have graduated from the Maui/Moloka`i Drug Court.
"This major donation from the A&B Foundation will enable the Friends of the Maui Drug Court to provide critically important milestone awards and other support to Drug Court clients at key points in their recovery, including at Drug Court graduation," Schlesinger said. "This grant is the fifth provided to FMDC in the last decade. We are deeply grateful to the A&B Foundation for its steadfast backing of our effort to end the cycle of substance abuse and crime in Maui County."
The A&B Foundation is funded by the business activities of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. and its subsidiaries. On Maui, those subsidiaries include Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company (HC&S)/Maui Brand Sugar; East Maui Irrigation Company (EMI); Kahului Trucking & Storage Company; A&B Properties, Inc.; A&B Wailea LLC; and Matson Navigation Company.
In a letter to Schlesinger announcing the award, Stephen Holaday and Meredith J. Ching of the A&B Foundation stated: "It is a pleasure to be among your supporters, knowing that our funding will enable the Friends of the Maui Drug Court to support participants in their efforts to achieve a drug-free lifestyle." Ching is the A&B Foundation's president; Holaday, of HC&S, is a board member.
Chartered in 1992, the A&B Foundation has strived to provide a broad program of support in many areas of importance to the community, including the field of health and human services. A&B Foundation grant applications and annual reports are available at http://www.
More information about Friends of the Maui Drug Court and the Maui/Moloka`i Drug Court is available at http://mauidrugcourt.info/.
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