Fort Wayne, Ind. (WOWO) — Mayor Sharon Tucker has announced the first round of recipients to receive funding from the City of Fort Wayne’s share of the national opioid settlement, awarding a total of $1.002 million to local organizations working to combat substance use and addiction.
The initiative, launched under Tucker’s administration, is part of a long-term strategy to use opioid settlement payments—scheduled through 2038—to support prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm-reduction services across the city.
Earlier this year, Tucker established the National Opioid Settlement Committee to guide how the funds are used. The committee reviewed applications and made recommendations for funding based on community needs. The first application window opened in September and closed in early October.
“I’m encouraged by the collaboration that’s been displayed to help move our community forward through meaningful investments,” Mayor Tucker said in a statement. “I truly believe we’re going to see positive outcomes.”
The grants will fund a variety of initiatives addressing substance use from multiple angles—from treatment for mothers and outreach for unhoused residents, to school-based prevention and grief counseling for families affected by overdose.
Funding recipients include:
YWCA Northeast Indiana – $90,000 to expand residential and outpatient treatment for women and mothers, including subsidized care and childcare.
BHG Fort Wayne Treatment Center – $99,400 to extend the EmpowerHer Recovery program for uninsured pregnant and postpartum women.
Rise Recovery, LLC – $100,000 to support staff expansion for outpatient Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) serving up to 200 clients.
The Lighthouse: Life Restoration Services – $100,000 to enhance behavioral health staffing and overdose prevention for men in recovery.
Redemption House Ministry, Inc. – $100,000 to provide transitional housing and recovery programs for women reentering the community after incarceration.
Oxford House, Inc. – $100,000 to open one to two new peer-run recovery homes, adding up to 16 beds for adults in recovery.
Recovery Café Fort Wayne – $100,000 to expand peer recovery circles, treatment referrals, and Naloxone distribution.
Project.ME FW, Inc. – $100,000 to strengthen street outreach, harm reduction, and peer coaching, building on more than 149 overdose reversals since 2022.
RemedyLIVE (SoulMedic Media Group, Inc.) – $27,600 for the “One Pill Can Kill” fentanyl awareness campaign, expected to reach millions citywide.
Schools Care Inc. – $60,000 to expand school-based prevention programs for more than 3,000 students.
Harold W. McMillen Center for Health Education – $100,000 to extend its “Choices Today, Options Tomorrow” prevention curriculum to additional high schools.
Stillwater Hospice – $25,000 to expand overdose-related grief counseling at the Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center.
Mayor Tucker, who took office in April 2024, has made people-centered initiatives a hallmark of her administration. The opioid settlement program, she said, reflects her focus on enhancing the quality of life in Fort Wayne through community partnerships and targeted investment.
The next grant cycle for opioid settlement funding will open in January 2026.
