JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eight after-school facilities for local children are in danger of shutting down after losing funding for programs during the city of Jacksonville's budget session.
If the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida can’t get funding soon, thousands of children won’t have after-school care, which was set to start on Labor Day.
Ann, a local parent, has two sons who were both part of the Boys and Girls Clubs growing up. She said they loved it.
"They thought (it would) give them a chance to be independent and explore their minds," Ann said.
But she said she’s concerned about the program’s future.
"There just wasn't enough money in the budget this year to help," said Paul Martinez, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.
Eight local Boys and Girls Club after-school facilities, serving about 1,800 children, are in danger of shutting down this year because the nonprofit doesn’t have the money to run them.
"We serve the kids that need us the most," Martinez said. "The majority of our kids come from single-parent households; 87 percent do. Another 75 percent are free (lunch) and reduced lunch."
Half the funding comes from private donations and fundraising, and the other half comes from the government.
Martinez said he has been begging Jacksonville leaders to allocate the $1.7 million needed for the facilities to open up by Labor Day.
"The city has a big budget, but they also have to make choices," Martinez said. "We are hoping and praying that between the mayor and the City Council, that they find the dollars."
The clubs are big resources in lower-income communities, offering meals, homework help, arts, crafts and sports to children after school.
Martinez said if the kids are shut out, they're going to miss the fun and the sense of belonging.
"We are in competition with the streets," Martinez said. "If these kids don't have any place to turn to, gangs offer the same things that we do."
Ann said if the positive programs aren’t up and running, families will see the consequences.
"It's going to hurt the kids in the long run, because Jacksonville doesn't have too much as it is," Ann said.
Another thing the organization's leaders are worried about are the jobs. About 350 people work for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida. Without enough funding, their futures are in serious jeopardy.
Several City Council members, including Garrett Dennis and Bill Gulliford, said they're trying to do whatever they can to find the funding.
It's important to note that 14 locations for Boys and Girls Clubs will be open and operating come Labor Day. The whole organization isn't shutting down, just, potentially, several locations within the Northeast district.
To get involved, make a donation to the organization or learn which locations will be open on Labor Day, click here.