LETTER: Dignity Project — what does Guam get in return?

The answers to the question, “what does Guam get from the AG’s Dignity Project in return?” are pulled directly from the Dignity Project website.

What is the goal?

“Address Guam’s homeless and those ravished by opioid addiction and victimization with a ‘soup kitchen’ style model, by providing an evening meal; a place to shower and sleep; drug and social service counseling and job applications that evening; and a morning refreshment.” (Sourced from Dignity Project website.)

What is the objective?

“The primary and fundamental objective of The Dignity Project is to provide a safe place for an evening so a person can receive a meal, place to shower and sleep, and a morning refreshment.” (Sourced from Dignity Project website.)

What does the Dignity Project require of its clients?

“The Dignity Project requires nothing from those it aids, offering only a helping hand and the chance for an evening’s peace.” (Sourced from Dignity Project website.)

Meanwhile, 400-plus homeless children could use a helping hand and an evening’s peace.

Is the focus of the Dignity Project drug rehabilitation?

“Although not the core focus of The Dignity Project, it will also provide to those wanting to help themselves, a chance at recovery.” (Sourced from Dignity Project website.)

For $2.7 million from the Opioid Prevention and Treatment Act, rehabilitation should be the core focus – it’s literally in the name.

How does the Dignity Project clean up the streets?

“The Dignity Project brings together government and private sector leaders to assist those in urgent need.” (Sourced from Dignity Project website.)

Basically, the Dignity Project is using the same resources available to opioid addicts already.

Is failure predicted in the mission statement?

“We cannot teach or ‘counsel’ a person self-respect. It comes from taking responsibility, owning their failures in life, and working very hard. Work and discipline brings our ‘fallen’ and victims back into our Community.” (Sourced from Dignity Project website.)

So, without setting any incentives to get off drugs or any conditions to getting free room and board every night, it seems like this program only makes the drug addicts’ current lifestyle choice easier to live with.

It seems that the $2.7 million can be best used to provide dedicated forms of outreach or enhance the ones already available.

If the addict truly wants to take ownership and responsibility for getting clean, self-help programs would be ideal: gardening, school bus conversions, free classes, etc.

Rehabilitation isn’t even the core function of The Dignity Project, and with money sources quickly drying up, we need to demand a bigger return on our investments.

Without a major push for prevention, for every client that makes it off the street, there will be someone plunged into drugs to take their place.

And unfortunately, homeless kids might be exposed to the settings that lead to drugs.

The lieutenant governor’s stray dog task force favors dogs over children. The legislative opioid council and AG’s Dignity Project favors homeless opioid clients over homeless children.

When will someone in GovGuam come out and be an advocate for the kids?