- The $250,000 DHS grant is the largest in the center’s 10-year history and requires a 50% local match from donors and partners.
- The funding allows TCRC to serve about 180 students across Garrison Pilcher, Cross Creek, Thomas County Middle, and its main campus.
- Watch the video to see what the program provides for working parents in Thomasville.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For many parents, the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. are the hardest.. that's when kids need care, homework help, and safety.
I'm learning how the Community Resource Center's biggest grant yet is keeping kids on track and helping parents make ends meet.
The Thomasville Community Resource Center is known for helping local families through tutoring, mentorship, and youth development programs.
Earlier this year, some of its federal funding was frozen forcing the center to end its summer program early and leaving hundreds of kids without care.
Now, under new leadership, the center is focused on keeping those grants flowing while also building new funding sources to protect programs long-term.
"About 80 percent of our funding does come from grants, and so we want to diversify that and lean more in on individual donors as well as some other donations from foundations," said Adrian Burn Smith, Executive director of TCRC.
One of the center's most popular programs is its after-school program: a lifeline many parents said they couldn't afford to lose during the funding freeze.
Fortunately, that program is funded through a separate state grant from the Georgia Department of Human Services.
This year, the center received $250,000.. the largest grant in its history.
"This is the biggest we've had. Normally we've been getting like 150, 175, but now we are able to get 250, which will allow us to serve 180 students here as well as in the Thomas County school systems," said Samuel.
Program Manager Cortney Samuel says that increase comes at the perfect time.. as the need is greater every year.
"Almost every year, we do have a wait list of students who would like to be in the program or families who would like to enroll their children. So we just kind of take it as a need-by-need basis, and if we can enroll more students, we do," said Samuel.
The program serves as a lifeline for working parents who need a safe and affordable place for their kids after school.
"We have the certified teacher from that location. We have paraprofessionals, we have student aides, and we give snacks to the kids. We also help them with academic enrichment, as well as we do STEM learning," said Smith.
The program is free for most families: they only pay a one-time $25 registration fee, with everything else covered by the grant.
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