Press Room
Oct 29, 2008 | Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE BIG BEND RECEIVES FIVE MORE YEARS OF FUNDING IN FRANKLIN COUNTY
FOR MEDIA INFORMATION:
STACEY GETZ, APR
850-656-8100 EXT. 322
SGETZ@BGCBB.ORG
Tallahassee, Fla. -- After months of negotiations with the Florida Department of Education to secure renewed funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Good TIDES grant in Franklin County, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend finally received some good news. Late last week, the Department agreed to fund the program at the requested amount of $594,500 per year for the next five years. This notification came more than two months after the Department initially denied the organization’s application for renewed funding, leaving more than 300 kids in Franklin County without access to after-school programming and dozens of Boys & Girls Clubs employees out of work.
“It’s a good day for hundreds of kids and parents in Franklin County,” said Samuel M. “Buddy” Streit, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend. “We are thrilled to be able to continue serving Franklin’s rural communities and providing its children with much needed after-school youth development programs.”
A recent study by Florida TaxWatch shows that Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the state save taxpayers millions of dollars in costs associated with high school drop outs, juvenile crime and other related social issues. In fact, statistics reveal that Boys & Girls Club members are more likely to graduate high school, less likely to engage in criminal activity and less likely to experience teenage pregnancy when compared to their non-member peers.
The Good TIDES grant funds three Boys & Girls Club after-school sites in Franklin County, including Chapman Elementary in Apalachicola, Brown Elementary in Eastpoint and the Carrabelle Municipal Complex, formerly Carrabelle High School. Together, these three sites serve more than 300 kids ages 5 to 18. After the organization’s initial application for renewed funding was denied, the sites were forced to close. However, in light of the recent development, the Boys & Girls Clubs will re-open all three sites starting Monday, Nov. 3.
“Even though we have not been able to pay them for the past two months due to the initial denial of our renewed funding application, many of our Good TIDES staff have worked to prepare for this very moment, when the Department of Education would reverse its decision and agree to fund this invaluable program,” said Kevin Ward, director of the Good TIDES program in Franklin County. “Thanks to our staff’s unwavering commitment to our organization and the kids in this area, we are prepared to re-open without any further delay.”
Transportation from the new Franklin School to the three sites will be provided by Franklin County Schools. To enroll a child at one of the three Clubs, contact the appropriate Club director below.
Apalachicola (Chapman Elementary)
Jhaki Davis, 850-519-5372
Eastpoint (Brown Elementary)
Danielle Layne, 850-519-5371
Carrabelle (Carrabelle High School)
Cherry Rankin, 850-519-5370
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend visit www.ThePositivePlaceForKids.org or call the administrative office at
850-656-8100.
ABOUT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE BIG BEND
Established in 1992 to help curb local youth crime and delinquency, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend offers kids ages 5 to 18 a Positive Place to Go after school, where they can grow personally and academically in a safe and structured environment. Now operating 16 Clubs in Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson and Leon Counties and serving more than 7,000 members every year, the organization provides a compelling alternative to drugs, crime, gang activity and other negative influences affecting local youth today, and enables members to realize their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. As an independent affiliate of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend relies heavily on the generosity of local benefactors and direct support from public and private entities. To learn more, visit www.ThePositivePlaceForKids.org.
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