STEP UP: GOVGUAM HAS TO COVER LIGHTHOUSE'S SHORTFALL IN FUNDING

Once again, Guam's only residential rehabilitation center for the
treatment of adult male substance-abuse patients is facing potential
closure.

The Lighthouse Recovery Center, which is run by the Salvation Army,
expects to expend its operational budget and thus may have to close
June 1, according to The Salvation Army Guam Corps' Maj. Dave Harmon.
If that happens, it won't reopen, Harmon said.

Lighthouse receives a $300,000 grant annually from the Guam Housing
and Urban Renewal Authority, but its operating costs are about
$450,000 a year. And although Guam is a very giving community -- The
Salvation Army raises about $200,000 to $250,000 a year, Harmon said
- -- donations are usually specified for something specific, such as
Christmas food baskets.

"Most people don't want to give money to operations, to pay the
electric bill or salaries," Harmon said. That means that general
donations are often used to fill in some of the gaps. However, there
isn't enough to meet Lighthouse's funding shortfalls.

Last year, Gov. Felix Camacho signed an executive order transferring
$150,000 from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse to
save the drug rehabilitation center from closure.

Unfortunately, the government needs to step up again this year, for
several reasons.

It's the government's duty to protect the people. The government's
ability to prevent drugs from being imported to or made on Guam has
failed. If the government can't provide proper interdiction and
prevention to keep illegal drugs from spreading, then it needs to
ensure that treatment is available for drug abuse.

But the government fails to do that, as well. It's left up to
organizations such as Lighthouse, the Oasis Empowerment Center (a
drug-treatment center for women) and Sanctuary (which provides
services for minors). So it's only right for GovGuam to cover funding
shortfalls at these drug-treatment programs since it isn't providing
these services itself.

That doesn't preclude the community from getting involved. Individuals
and businesses are more than welcome to make donations to The
Salvation Army, specifically for the Lighthouse Recovery Center. How
you can help

To make a donation, call The Salvation Army at 477-9872. Make sure you
specify that you want the donation to go to the Lighthouse Recovery
Center.