Sep. 1—Fruits of Labor, which has opened a cafe and bakery in downtown Beckley with a real estate assist from the city, is one of nine businesses to receive a $225,0000 grant to help individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD).

Also on the list of grantees were Seed Sower of Meadow Bridge, which provides supervised housing, transportation and support services to women recovering from SUD, and Greenbrier Dairy of Rainelle.

Working with Jobs & Hope and CORE, the nine businesses will create new jobs for individuals in recovery, increase job development prospects through apprenticeship programs and skill advancement, and foster a recovery-friendly workplace where individuals with SUD can thrive.

The program is being managed in partnership with the Office of Governor Jim Justice, Jobs & Hope WV, Marshall Health's CORE (Creating Opportunities for Recovery Employment) program, the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, and the West Virginia Office of Economic Development.

The grants totaled more than $2 million.

In addition to the three regional businesses to receive grants, the others are:

Keep Your Faith Corporation, Charleston

Hampshire County Pathways, Romney

West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, Charleston

West Virginia Sober Living, Charleston and Morgantown

Mountaineer Behavioral Health, Kearneysville

Charleston Property Restoration, Charleston

"One of the sustaining components of successful recovery is reentry to the workforce," said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) director.

"Giving individuals a sense of purpose and a pathway to give back to their communities is invaluable," Christiansen said in a press release.

ODCP, Jobs & Hope WV, and CORE all seek to eliminate barriers to employment. The creation and support of social enterprises and recovery owned or operated businesses will assist Jobs & Hope transition agents and CORE employment specialists with linking members of the recovery community to employment opportunities that allow them to be more productive members of the communities in which they live.