BOYS AND GIRLS LOBBY AT STATE CAPITOL

The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester visited lawmakers at the State Capitol in Albany on Jan. 30 for Afterschool Advocacy Day to lobby for important afterschool programs and services.

Director of Programming for the Boys and Girls Club Athenia Lee, Associate Director of Teen Programming Daniela Perez-Torres, and Middle School Head Counselor Daniel Beaudreault traveled to Albany along with 13 teen leaders to advocate on behalf of youth programming statewide.

Boys and Girls Club CEO Alyzza Ozer said students prepare for months to understand applicable legislation and give compelling testimony to the importance of after-school enrichment. Ozer added that uncertainty over the replacement of New York State After School Advantage Funding in the state budget – accounting for more than $280,000 a year for the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and hundreds of millions more for after-school programming across the state  made the students first-hand accounts even more relevant.

“These diverse students brilliantly articulated the needs of youth throughout the state,’’ said Ozer. “They took their civic responsibilities very seriously and impressed our legislators with their knowledge and sensitivity to all youth, demonstrating how important afterschool programs are to educating young people.’’

The students and their advisors visited the offices of New York State Senators Peter Harckham, Shelley Mayer and John Liu and Assemblymembers Amy Paulin, Gary Pretlow, Chris Burdick, Mary Jane Shimsky and Michael Benedetto. The group was also introduced on the Assembly floor.

Lee said, “We are always grateful for the funding we – and many other organizations serving youth in New York – receive from the state. We hope that this year, our state legislators will still be able to find the funding for these vital afterschool programs that help so many of our youth who need important services that will help them thrive and succeed, now and in the future.”    

The Boys and Girls Club provides age and developmentally appropriate programs and curricula designed to foster academic success, good character and leadership development, and healthy lifestyles for ages 3 to 18. It provides youth with a safe, positive environment where they can learn and grow and feel a sense of belonging, and partners with school districts and local organizations to ensure each child receives the educational supports and enrichment they deserve.