Erie County Legislator Joe Lorigo recently visited Kids Escaping Drugs to tour the West Seneca campus and discuss the financial hardships the organization faces following proposed statewide cuts.

Legislator Lorigo toured the facility with Suzanne D’Amico and met with Executive Director Robin Clouden and Deputy Executive Director Jodie Altman. Because of Governor Cuomo’s 31% proposed cuts to addiction recovery services and drug and alcohol treatment programs, Kids Escaping Drugs risks losing a portion of their funding.  At their West Seneca facility, Kids Escaping Drugs focuses on counseling, education, and community outreach to fight drug and alcohol addiction among youth in Western New York.

Legislator Lorigo said,”I appreciate the team at Kids Escaping Drugs for showing me around and discussing the dire financial situation they face with proposed statewide cuts. As one of the largest and most comprehensive facilities offering mental health and drug abuse assistance in the state, it is imperative that our state legislative delegation fights tooth and nail to secure full funding for this organization. Drug abuse and overdoses are on the rise and will only continue to get worse with kids and adolescents struggling during this pandemic. I look forward to working with my colleagues in government to find funding to keep Kids Escaping Drugs open and functioning to its fullest capacity.”