Today, Eluna—formerly The Moyer Foundation— announced it has been awarded a three-year, $681,818 grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to expand its groundbreaking program, Camp Mariposa—Eluna’s year-round addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth ages 9-17 impacted by the substance use of a family member.

In partnership with Clemson University Youth Learning Institute, this grant will expand the Camp Mariposa network to 19 locations to include Camp Mariposa Anderson South Carolina, a rural location in the upstate region of South Carolina in partnership with United Way of Anderson County.

“We are honored that the Department of Justice continues to invest in Eluna to expand its support of children impacted by substance use disorder in their families,” said Mary K. FitzGerald, Chief Executive Officer of Eluna. “Camp Mariposa teaches vital coping skills offering youth the opportunity to get out of their environments and be kids, connect with peers and mentors and learn that addiction is a disease and not their fault. We look forward to working alongside Clemson University Youth Learning Institute to support children teens and families in South Carolina.”

Eluna’s Camp Mariposa offers free weekend camps six times a year with family activities the months in between and teaches coping skills that build resiliency and ultimately break the cycle of addiction. United Way of Anderson County and Anderson-Oconee Behavioral Services will serve as partners on this expansion project.

In addition to the estimated 325 youth who will be served through the proposed project for the initial grant period, it is expected that 100 trained adult mentors will support campers.

For more information about Eluna and Camp Mariposa, visit elunanetwork.org or go to Eluna’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.