ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A quarter of a million dollars is going to The Boys and Girls Club of Allentown as part of the Pennsylvania state budget for the upcoming year.
The $250,000 grant was secured through the 2022-23 state budget.
State Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), is chairman of the Senate's appropriations committee, and said he worked toward securing the funds in the budget.
“For decades, the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown has provided a safe and stable place for our city’s children to grow and realize their potential,” Browne said in announcing the grant.
“Their mission has changed thousands of lives and I am proud to secure these funds to ensure that they have the resources necessary to build upon their mission and excel well into the future.”
Browne recently lost the spring primary election for another term by a thin margin of just 19 votes to Jarrett Coleman, and is no longer in the running to represent the district.
According to Browne's office, the funds will be used toward several projects that have been on the organization's priority list for years. They include remodeling the Sixth Street Clubhouse and renovating the Turner Street Clubhouse.
The office said improvements enabled by the grant will let the organization meet its mission of serving the youth of the city.
“These funds will enable us to dedicate more of our other donations to programming that will directly impact the lives of the area’s children,” Deborah Fries-Jackson, chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club Allentown, said in the announcement.
Matt Szuchyt, deputy director of policy and communications for Browne's office, said the nonprofit should get the money within the next couple of months.
The Boys & Girls Club of Allentown provides activities and programs to children and young people in the community at four locations throughout the city.