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CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Boys & Girls Club programs threatened by Trump grant freeze serve thousands of families
Girls read an Amelia Bedelia book during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025 in Providence R.I. (AP Photo/Sophie Park)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boys and Girls Club programs threatened by Trump grant freeze serve thousands of families
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — After driving through a downpour to take her son to day camp, Darleen Reyes told camp administrators the rain would have kept her away but her son insisted on going. As she marked her son's name present on a clipboard at the Boys and Girls Club camp, she laughed about braving a flash flood warning to get there. Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, 'I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.' Then he ran off to play. Aiden's one of 1.4 million children and teenagers around the country who have been attending after-school and summer programming at a Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA or a public school for free thanks to federal taxpayers. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families, but President Donald Trump's administration recently froze the funding. The money for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers is among more than $6 billion in federal education grants Trump's Republican administration has withheld, saying it wants to ensure recipients' programs align with the president's priorities. After-school programs for the fall are in jeopardy In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the Boys and Girls Club of East Providence. Other Boys and Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys and Girls Club of America. But there isn't the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall. Some of the 926 Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide that run 21st Century Community Learning summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn't release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said. The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering. 'Time is of the essence,' said Christy Gleason, executive director of Save the Children Action Network, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. 'It's not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.' Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America's analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states. Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze. 'I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump," said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. 'In Georgia, we're getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.' The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts. Summer clubs provide instruction for children At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets. Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate. 'When someone says something inappropriate, you don't repeat it,' teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees. Indeed, it's hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys and Girls Club. Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a 'beacon of hope and opportunity.' The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys and Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free. 'I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them,' said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration's review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. But not everyone is so sure. Families see few affordable child care alternatives Aiden's mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island. 'It costs $220 a week,' Reyes said, her eyes expanding. 'I can't afford that.' The single mother and state worker said she'll probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldn't play basketball and football. 'I don't have any other option,' she said. At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since he's thrived getting tutoring and 'learning about healthy boundaries' from the Boys and Girls Club program, Reyes said. Fernande Berard learned about the funding freeze and possible closure from a reporter after dropping off her three young boys for summer camp. 'I would be really devastated if this goes away,' said the nurse. 'I honestly don't know what I would do.' Her husband drives an Uber much of the day, and picking up the kids early would eat into his earnings. It's money they need to pay the mortgage and everything else. If her boss approves, she'd likely have to pick up her children from school and take them to the rehabilitation center where she oversees a team of nurses. The children would have to stay until her work day ends. 'It's hard to imagine,' she said. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Bianca Vázquez Toness, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
6 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Boys and Girls Club programs threatened by Trump grant freeze serve thousands of families
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — After driving through a downpour to take her son to day camp, Darleen Reyes told camp administrators the rain would have kept her away but her son insisted on going. As she marked her son's name present on a clipboard at the Boys and Girls Club camp , she laughed about braving a flash flood warning to get there. Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, 'I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.' Then he ran off to play. Aiden's one of 1.4 million children and teenagers around the country who have been attending after-school and summer programming at a Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA or a public school for free thanks to federal taxpayers. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families, but President Donald Trump's administration recently froze the funding. The money for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers is among more than $6 billion in federal education grants Trump's Republican administration has withheld, saying it wants to ensure recipients' programs align with the president's priorities . After-school programs for the fall are in jeopardy In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the Boys and Girls Club of East Providence. Other Boys and Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys and Girls Club of America. But there isn't the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall. Some of the 926 Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide that run 21st Century Community Learning summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn't release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said. The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering. 'Time is of the essence,' said Christy Gleason, executive director of Save the Children Action Network, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. 'It's not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.' Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America , a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America's analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states. Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze. 'I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,' said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. 'In Georgia, we're getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.' The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts. Summer clubs provide instruction for children At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets. Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate. 'When someone says something inappropriate, you don't repeat it,' teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees. Indeed, it's hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys and Girls Club. Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a 'beacon of hope and opportunity.' The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys and Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free. 'I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them,' said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration's review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. But not everyone is so sure. Families see few affordable child care alternatives Aiden's mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island. 'It costs $220 a week,' Reyes said, her eyes expanding. 'I can't afford that.' The single mother and state worker said she'll probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldn't play basketball and football. 'I don't have any other option,' she said. At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since he's thrived getting tutoring and 'learning about healthy boundaries' from the Boys and Girls Club program, Reyes said. Fernande Berard learned about the funding freeze and possible closure from a reporter after dropping off her three young boys for summer camp. 'I would be really devastated if this goes away,' said the nurse. 'I honestly don't know what I would do.' Her husband drives an Uber much of the day, and picking up the kids early would eat into his earnings. It's money they need to pay the mortgage and everything else. If her boss approves, she'd likely have to pick up her children from school and take them to the rehabilitation center where she oversees a team of nurses. The children would have to stay until her work day ends. 'It's hard to imagine,' she said. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'A despicable act of hatred': Man arrested for stomping on Cape Verdean flag
EAST PROVIDENCE — A man with a Nazi flag was arrested on July 2 for stomping on a Cape Verdean flag during a ceremony at City Hall, according to the police. The incident was a "despicable act of hatred," East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva said in a statement. East Providence held a flag-raising ceremony on July 2 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde's independence from Portugal. According to the police, Joey Marsden, 27, of Lincoln showed up at City Hall on a moped while the celebration was taking place inside the building, and threw both the American flag and the Cape Verdean flag on the ground. Marsden then proceeded to stomp on the Cape Verdean flag, according to eyewitnesses and surveillance video. The police stopped Marsden on his moped a short distance from City Hall. During the arrest, they discovered that he had a 6-inch knife and a Nazi flag in his possession. He was charged with vandalism, disorderly conduct and possession of a prohibited weapon. "Our agency takes these acts of vandalism seriously and will pursue hate crime enhancements when warranted," said Michael Rapoza, acting chief of the East Providence Police Department. "I'd like to thank the ceremony attendees for alerting the police and our officers who responded quickly and apprehended the suspect. There is no place for this type of behavior in our city.' In a statement, the East Providence Police Department said that it is working with the state attorney general's office to determine whether Marsden will face additional hate crime enhancements. 'The City of East Providence takes great pride in being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community for all,' DaSilva said in a statement. 'There is no room in this city for acts of hatred and vandalism. Our administration condemns all hateful acts and will continue to make it abundantly clear that East Providence is an inclusive community where hate is neither welcome nor tolerated.' Court records show that Marsden was arraigned July 3 and pleaded not guilty. He was released on $3,000 bail and will next appear in court on July 23. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Man with Nazi flag arrested for stomping on Cape Verdean flag
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New gear received by East Providence firefighters has right chemical formula
EAST PROVIDENCE – In 2027 it will be illegal to distribute personal protective equipment for firefighting that contains certain toxic chemicals. The ban passed in the General Assembly this spring and Gov. Dan McKee has already signed it. On Tuesday, East Providence became the first city in the U.S. to equip all of its firefighters with protective coats and pants that comply with the law, officials say. The materials in the 175 turnout ensembles produced jointly by Milliken and Fire-Dex do not contain certain synthetic fluorinated chemicals known widely by an abbreviation as "PFAS." PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s, according to an April news release sent out by the Rhode Island Senate. The PCAS chemicals have been linked to cancer and other health problems, lawmakers say. East Providence fire Chief Michael Carey managed the procurement of the gear at a total cost of $658,000, or about $3,750 per unit, East Providence Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva said Tuesday. The gear was paid for with money from the American Rescue Plan Act, the COVID-aid stimulus package passed in 2021. "East Providence tries to lead the way in innovation," said DaSilva. "It brings me great pride that Chief Carey led the charge on trying to get this to become a reality," he said. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: East Providence firefighters debut new protective gear
