12-24 Club, together with Casper College, awards a scholarship to support addicts

June 23, 2024

CASPER, Wyoming — The 12-24 Club is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people battling addiction. The organization recently partnered with Casper College to create a scholarship for those struggling with addiction.

“This is something we’ve wanted to do for some time,” said club executive director Jeremy Jones. “We had money set aside for this and it turns out the timing was perfect. Because it turns out the Casper College Foundation had also recently received this grant that all contributions to their endowment would be matched by the government. So we used $25,000 and it was immediately doubled; so the 12-24 Club now has a $50,000 endowment.”

Four scholarships are awarded per school year, two per semester. The scholarships are worth 750 US dollars.

Jones said the scholarship is an important project for him and the club because higher education opens doors to help recovering addicts. He added, however, that the scholarship is not only open to those who are actively battling addiction.

“It’s for anyone affected by addiction,” he said. “So if there’s a child whose parents are addicted to drugs or are in a similar situation, this scholarship is for them, too.”

“We’ve already given out a grant, sort of as a test run to see how the process would work. And we gave it to a woman who wasn’t an addict herself, but who had been through a lot of hoops with people who had struggled with addiction in their lives,” Jones said.

When the application period for upcoming semesters begins, interested students can apply for the scholarship through the Casper College Foundation’s online portal.

The 12-24 Club offers support groups for people struggling with a variety of addictions, from alcoholism to food addictions and more. The club also provides space for other therapeutic activities, such as yoga for recovery and a bereavement group. In addition, the club operates its Fresh Start Cafe, which provides employment opportunities for recovering addicts seeking work.

The club’s full program schedule can be found here on its website.