Bolivar Police Department donates $1,000 to Warriors Center

BOLIVAR, Tenn. — The Warriors Center came to Bolivar just last year, with a huge mission: To help those in the community struggling with addiction.

“Some are coming in here messed up. They’re transforming into men and getting their sanity back,” said Warriors Center Program Director Tino Skinner.

“They’ve literally went from the side of the community that we’re not really proud of, to the side of the community that is supporting and giving back to us, so we’re grateful for that,” said Bolivar City Mayor Julian McTizic.

City officials say the impact on the community is evident. That’s why the police department donated $1,000 to the center from its drug fund.

“A place like this helps our community by giving people a second chance and letting them learn that there are better ways of self-satisfaction other than doing drugs and being out on the streets,” said Michael Jones, Chief of Police for the City of Bolivar.

“We want them to be back in our community and be a productive citizen. So to have the Warriors Center here, they provide those resources that we can’t provide on the city’s end,” McTizic said.

Skinner is also a graduate of the program. He says the money will go towards bunk beds, which will help expand the number of men they can help.

“They go through things here that are beneficial to basic life skills,” Skinner said.

They currently house around 35 men. Each man undergoes both psychological treatment and spiritual learning. They also help with tasks around Bolivar.

“They might help rehab a house. They might help pick up paper. They might help certain jobs that the public might need to sustain a community,” Jones said.

In order to keep the mission going, the center continues to need donations in the form of food, clothes and money.

“There’s multiple ways that anyone can help us with donations. Because men come in here most of the time with the clothes on their back and nothing else,” Skinner said.

They make sure people know they want to help as many people as possible.

“You don’t need to come in here with anything in your pocket. All you need is a heart that’s ready to change,” Skinner said.

The center says that they have a 75 percent success rate for each person who completes the program.