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Wlaf1450Two new Rotarians inducted into Campbell County Rotary, Bethany Benjamin and Joseph Biggs
By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Campbell United, Campbell County’s anti-drug coalition, presented at Tuesday’s Rotary Club luncheon held at the LaFollette Methodist Church.
Campbell United Director Charlsa Honeycutt and assistant director Kaylee Queener spoke on Tuesday.
According to organizers, the anti-drug coalition is “centered on drug prevention”.
Honeycutt previously worked with the Shepherd’s Home, Celebrate Recovery and the Campbell County Drug Court. “Working with and helping drug addicts overcome addiction is something she has been passionate about for a long time.”
She expressed thanks to the Scott County anti-drug coalition director Trent Coffey as well as all the community leaders that have stepped up and invested in helping Campbell County become drug free.
Honeycutt also spoke about some upcoming goals of the coalition such as more involvement in the area’s schools.
“I would love to see us have a teen coalition like they have in Scott County. It’s kids helping kids in really tough times, and they support each other; that’s one of my goals to see that in Campbell County,” Honeycutt said.
She also went over the coalition’s Correctional Career Pathways Program that “will help inmates get into the work program”.
One of Campbell County’s drug coalition’s biggest achievements of the year was to receive $50,000 in grant funds to use for the Correctional Career Pathways program, a program which is “hopefully” soon to be underway in the county.
Correctional Career Pathways “gives current inmates the ability to obtain employment with a local company.
The program provides funds to obtain Photo ID, Birth Certificate, and Social Security Card, all of which are required to obtain a job, Fines, fees, cost, restitution, and child support are paid monthly in hopes that the participant comes out of jail debt free with a current Job.
The Correctional Career Pathways program also “assists in setting up a bank account and a savings account for the individual and provides job skills training and mental health support services.”
The grant is being provided through the East Tennessee State University’s Tennessee Institute of Public Health through a federal grant provided through the Appalachian Reginal Commission (ARC.)
“We are working with area factories, the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s department on this. This will help them budget their money, pay fees and fines that they owe and hopefully integrate back into society debt free and in the workforce,” Honeycutt said.
Campbell United Assistant Director Kaylee Queener spoke briefly as well about how the coalition is “working on getting into schools, and that they have an upcoming meeting with Director Jennifer Fields to work on getting a youth coalition going like they have in Scott County.”
She also went over other activities the coalition does such as resources fairs, drug take back days, diaper drives, and more.
“We will accept volunteers, and there is always a way to help,” Queener said.
Rotary President Debbie Petree also serves as Campbell United’s Board Chairman. Petree encouraged others to come to a meeting and see the exciting things the coalition was working on.
“It’s a really great coalition, and we have so many great community leaders getting involved with this. We need things like this in our community to serve these individuals that are sometimes cast out by society,” said Petree.
“Every soul is worth saving. I saw a lot of lives and families saved through Recovery Court, and I know Campbell United is moving us in the right direction,” Honeycutt said.
Campbell United holds meetings on the second Thursday of each month at noon. Meetings are usually held at TCAT Jacksboro, but the next meeting on March 13th will be held at Roane State Community College’s Campbell County Campus. For more information, contact Honeycutt at 423.907.2908, or via email at chuckih59@yahoo.com. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-02/26/2025-6AM)