Chesterfield County’s Juvenile Drug Court partnered with Parks and Recreation to build 15 dog houses to be donated to Animal Control. These dog houses will be provided to citizens free of charge who are in need of a home for their outside dog but are unable to purchase one. The supplies were purchased by the Drug Court using federal grant funding as part of the drug court’s initiative to engage our youth in pro-social, community-minded activities. Parks and Recreation were terrific partners. They provided skilled staff who could teach and supervise the build – everything from putting the houses together, painting them, and adding roofs and shingles. Parks and Rec also provided several staff volunteers to help with the project. All in all, it was a great opportunity for the Drug Court youth to give back to their community, learn carpentry and building skills, and engage with positive, mentor-like adults. The youth were vocal about how much they enjoyed the event, as were the adults from both agencies that supported it. The Juvenile Drug Court probation officer noted that “Kids we rarely see smile, we saw smile throughout the day!”
