$75,000 federal grant to benefit Boys & Girls Club

The City of Cairo has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) earmarked for the Boys and Girls Club of Cairo/Grady County.
City Manager Chris Addleton learned Monday the grant had been approved just in time him to inform the council of the good news at its Monday evening meeting. Addleton wrote and completed the first draft of the grant application in July 2009 and resubmitted the application in Feb. 2010, with updates as required by OJJDP.  
The City of Cairo has supported the Boys and Girls Club since its inception and currently, Mayor Richard VanLandingham, Councilman Ernest Cloud, Jr., and Addleton serve as members of the board of directors for the club.
“The Boys and Girls Club of Cairo provides a safe place to learn and grow; ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals; life-enhancing programs and character development experiences; and hope and opportunity,” the grant notification letter stated.
The funds are allocated for the Club’s after-school program targeting at-risk youth between the ages of six and 14 years-of-age. The program must provide tutoring, help with homework and focused instruction on academics according to the notification letter. The grantee will report performance measures to the OJJDP such as the number of youth served by the after-school program and the number of youth that graduate to the next grade.
“These funds could not have come at a better time. We are in the process of another capital campaign and this will be a great start in helping us with our long term funding. The students and board appreciate the city’s support of the Cairo/Grady County Boys and Girls Club and being a part of helping us make a difference in these students’ lives,” said Nola Daughtry, president of the Boys and Girls Club.