Clients and staff urge Richmond to keep funding local substance-use recovery services

Speakers connected to the McShane Foundation spoke during public comment about the nonprofit’s role helping people experiencing substance use disorder and housing crises, and urged continued city support.

Tylene Crumpler, community outreach coordinator for the McShane Foundation, said the organization, a 501(c)(3), served 131 people experiencing substance-use disorder and housing crisis in Richmond in the past year, including mothers and children in a recovery house. She asked whether a $150,000 annual grant to McShane yields savings for the city by reducing emergency responses and homelessness-related costs.

Two people with lived experience, John Locke and Jason Tucker, described personal recoveries tied to McShane programs and asked council to sustain funding. "If it wasn't for McShane, I wouldn't have direction in my life," Locke said. Tucker, who works on the foundation’s reentry team, called for increased funding and said the organization sometimes turns people away when capacity is insufficient.

No formal funding motion was before council at the meeting; speakers framed their remarks as requests to maintain or expand existing support. Council members did not take immediate budget action during the session.