New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Brooklyn Community Foundation announced Thursday the delivery of grants to 10 community-based organizations.

The $2.2 million in grants will go to organizations that offer substance treatment programs and harm reduction services.

The funds were seized back in 2019 from the Canarsie Aware Foundation, which was exploiting New York’s most vulnerable and defrauding Medicaid claims. 

The attorney general says a 2019 investigation into Canarsie Aware Inc. found that it failed to help people who were struggling with substance abuse and instead scammed residents and Medicaid. 

“Under the New York State Not For Profit Law, these assets must be distributed. These assets that we seized from Canarsie Aware will be distributed to other legitimate nonprofit organizations who practice legitimate work,” said James. 

The Family Center in Bed-Stuy is one of the recipients of the grant. It has served the community of Brooklyn since 1994. Ivy Gamble Cobb, executive director of the center, says one thing they will do with the money is provided child care for clients. 

“We’re going to be using this money to reduce barriers to care. So often, especially women, have great difficulty in accessing care because they're so focused on their other responsibilities,” said Cobb. 

The 10 community-based organizations will be granted $217,500 over the course of three years to help to provide more services the community needs. 

This comes at a critical moment for in-demand community-based programs, as drug overdose deaths soared to record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to March 2021, there were 596 confirmed overdose deaths in New York City, with the second-largest number occurring in Brooklyn. 

The attorney general says the money will be distributed across the state of New York in a lockbox and carefully monitored. 

She says the money is to be strictly used for prevention, treatments, beds and education.