CAIRO — “Project Homerun,” a Community Project Funding Grant (CPF) submitted by the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club, has been passed and approved by Congress in the amount of $850,000.
The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday, March 7, passed by the Senate on Friday, March 8, and signed by the president on Saturday, March 9.
The CPF grant was submitted in early 2023 through the Office of Congressman Sanford Bishop with the help of Michael Bryant. Approximately 100 grant proposals were submitted throughout the district, which consists of 30 counties, and of those submissions, 15 community projects were chosen. The process will now go through the Transportation — Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies committee in the next few months to receive the funding.
“We are so very appreciative of the efforts by Congressman Bishop’s office and his staff for helping this project become a reality for the JRBGC,” said Executive Director Stephen Francis.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America is tax-exempt and “partially” funded by the federal government. Each local club is responsible for raising its own operating budget where members pay a small fee, receive monetary gifts from individuals, and raise money through fundraisers led by board members.
The JRBGC provides a safe environment for the community’s youth 3-6 p.m. each weekday and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the summers. All club members are provided with homework help and various programs and activities to help build strong character and life skills.
“For years, the goal of the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club has been to expand to a second location so more youth from Grady County can be served on a daily basis. The JRBGC has been fundraising locally and has written several grants in hopes of achieving this goal. For the last year or so, all fundraising efforts have been towards the purchase and expansion of a new location and have started a building fund to make this happen. Due to flooding concerns, expansion at the current location was not possible,” said Francis.
“The funding, combined with other fundraising efforts and donations, including a capital campaign that will be launched soon, will be used to construct an additional structure at the new location purchased in the spring of 2023 that will house a new gymnasium and additional classrooms. The project is an appropriate use of grant funds because the club has physically outgrown its current location due to space constraints,” JRBGC Board Chair Donica Douglas.
“As part of the grant writing process, local community leaders provided letters of support for “Project Homerun” including, Cairo Mayor Booker Gainor, City Councilman Jimmy Douglas, Former City Councilman Jerry Cox, City Manager Julian Brown, Community Supporter Ann Hopkins, Police Chief Santos, County Commissioner Buddy Johnson & the County Commissioners, Georgia State Representative Darlene Taylor, Georgia State Senator Sam Watson, and Grady County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric McFee,’’ said JRBGC Resource Development Chair Amy Hagan.
Current estimations of the expansion to include an indoor gymnasium and additional classroom spaces will cost several million dollars. This grant will put a big dent in the cost of the project, but the JRBGC will still need help from the community and abroad to make it possible.
“Immediate proposed plans for the new site include moving the JRBGC teens when the summer program starts in June of 2024. Upon the completion of the expansion of the new facility, the teens will then move back to the current location, which will by then have some updates of its own, to embrace a Teen Center all their own. The JRBGC youth will then move to the new ‘state of the art’ expanded facility that will include new classrooms and an indoor gymnasium,” Francis concluded.
“Plans and projected costs for expansions are already under way with the guidance of an architect who has completed Boys & Girls projects in various locations across the United States,” according to JRBGC founding member Charles Renaud.
“We are definitely very excited about the future of the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club. We are forever grateful for Congressman Sanford Bishop and his staff for their valued support of our mission. Also a very special thanks to JRBGC Resource Development Chair Amy Hagan, who was responsible for writing the grant for us. It’s all a team effort from everyone involved,” Francis concluded.