FUNDS RUNNING THIN FOR PALMER DRUG PROGRAM

Serious funding shortfalls may force the local Palmer Drug Abuse
Program center to close after September, its executive director said this week.

Suzanne Clifton says she worries about making payroll every two weeks
and fears having to turn away clients for lack of paid staff to
provide counseling and guidance at PDAP on Cottonwood Street.

"At this time I don't have any funding for after that (September)
except a small funding from the city of Brownsville," Clifton said.
"We have a serious timing problem."

For 22 years PDAP has served young adults with alcohol and substance
abuse problems in Cameron County. PDAP has 305 clients, including 109
from the Harlingen area.

The agency received $74,000 last year from Brownsville's Community
Development Block Grant program and about $12,000 from the Cameron
County District Attorney's Office drug forfeiture fund. And while
those funds are not exhausted, Clifton wants to ensure the agency can
continue operating until she can get approved for additional funding
from the United Way of Southern Cam-eron County.

The agency applied for United Way funding last year, but did not meet
the criteria, said Traci Wickett, president and CEO for the United
Way of Southern Cameron County.

If approved this year, money would be available next June or July.
Grant applications are also in the works, Clifton said, and donations
are appreciated.

In the meantime, "I've got this nine-month dry spell," she said. "We
are going to have to be very creative to make it through the next nine months."

The annual operating budget for PDAP is $190,000, including salaries
for three full-time employees.

Olga Villarreal, a PDAP board member and CEO for Valley Federal
Credit Union, said PDAP's funding problems are contributed to
cutbacks from agencies that have supported them in the past,
including the United Way and Brownsville Independent School District.

Villarreal believes part of the problem is that area businesses --
which could be another source of funding for PDAP services -- aren't
knowledgeable about the program.

"I'm hoping that someone (in the community) has a big enough heart to
do it (make a contribution to PDAP), Villarreal said.

"I feel that there is sometimes more support for the sale of it
(drugs) than there is for the prevention."

Clifton has struggled to keep the nonprofit open since she took over
as executive director in February. Clifton said PDAP's former board
of directors voted to shut down the program when funds dwindled to
$269, but she refused.

Instead, she cut employees' schedules for six weeks until the cash
got flowing again. Volunteers kept the office going. Represen-tatives
from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and former
and current PDAP board members helped answer telephones, clean and
perform other office work until the staff's schedules were restored.

Clifton took her case before the City Commission.

City Manager Charlie Cabler said he understands the agency's
predicament and said the city will provide whatever assistance it
can, as long as PDAP justifies its needs and expenditures.

"Our planning department that oversees these federal funding programs
are affordable and she can go and sit down with them and they will
discuss with her how to possibly access some more money for the
upcoming fiscal year," Cabler said.

The United Way and city of Brownsville also aided the Boys & Girls
Club earlier this month amid a financial crisis that threatened to
shut down the club's summer programs.

Clifton hopes for similar contributions to keep PDAP running. She has
sent letters to parishes in Brownsville seeking monthly do-nations of
$100 or more.

"We cannot keep our doors open for the young people to have a place
to go that is safe and drug free," her letter reads. "We can-not
offer them the counseling and guidance that they need so badly during
these formative years. We need the support of our com-munity."

To feed the agency's bank account, fund-raisers are being held,
including an Aug. 1 raffle offering chances to win a trip to Las
Vegas, a bay fishing trip and a television.

Brownsville businessman Elwyn Herman answered the call for help
Wednesday with a $2,000 donation and video game equip-ment.

Herman, owner of South Texas Vending Inc., feels strongly about the
services offered by PDAP and does not want to see the agency close.

"I feel that the kids and people on drugs, it is a sickness and
nothing to be ashamed of," Herman said. "It's habit forming... They
have problems and I feel that they need help."