The Courage Center has received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for 2025. The nonprofit group’s staff and board members accepted the honor on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in a ceremony at the FBI Columbia field office in Lexington.

Special Agent-in-Charge Anish Shukla presented the award on behalf of FBI Director Kash Patel.

“The Courage Center stands at the forefront in the battle against addiction,” Shukla said in a news release. “Their leadership and dedication to the cause are a true testament to the community involvement that is needed to address the complex issues resulting from substance misuse.”

Established in 1990 and given by each of the FBI’s 56 field offices, the Director’s Community Leadership Award recognizes individuals and organizations that make significant contributions toward combating crime, terrorism, drugs and violence in communities across the United States.

The Courage Center, a recovery community organization, serves those who are struggling with substance use. Started in 2016 in Lexington, The Courage Center now has offices in four counties and provides individual and group-level peer support.  

“In its work, The Courage Center strives to identify gaps in services, prevention and educational opportunities across the community,” the FBI news release says. “Staff (members) regularly visit neighborhoods and unhoused communities to distribute Narcan, fentanyl test strips and other harm reduction and hygiene items.”

“Additionally, the organization is developing a program for students who test positive for substances, offering life skills training, education and recovery coaching,” the release continues.

All peer-support services are provided at no cost, and The Courage Center says all staff members who work with participants have personal lived experience with substance use disorder. For more information, call 803-369-3905 or visit www.couragecentersc.org