The city made an agreement with the Ben Gordon Center to give the center’s Discovery House $8,000 for projects for the 2014/2015 year.

According to the city’s Comprehensive Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, the fund will help equip the program and provide supplies.

Community Services Planner Jamie Smirz said the donation is from the Community Development Block Grant, which is managed by the Housing Unified Development grant. It requires 15 percent of the money to go to social service agencies.

Ben Gordon Center is a community service agency dedicated to help people with mental illness and drug or substance abuse problems. Smirz said the fund will go to the women’s recovery house, which is a program for recovering alcoholics and substance abuse users.

“It is an absolutely wonderful program,” Smirz said. “It is a great way to support the community by supporting the social service agency.”

Mayor John Rey said DeKalb has applied for the Housing Unified Development grant for years.

“I am very pleased that we are using the grant for the women’s recovery program,” Rey said.

Fourth Ward Alderman Bob Snow said the center is an important resource for the community.

“They are an organization that has been in DeKalb for many years. It is an excellent facility so we have always tried to support their projects,” Snow said.

Representatives from the Ben Gordon Center did not respond to requests for comment.