In every state and almost every Congressional district around the country (including those responsible to Camp Fire councils), locally based school and community solutions that keep children and teenagers safe, inspire young people to learn, and support working families are supported by grant funding through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. These federal funds enable communities to leverage local resources by providing seed grants for three to five years that support community partnerships among community-based organizations, faith-based partners, private industry, and school partners (public, private, and charters).
However, this important source of revenue may be jeopardized. The Afterschool Alliance has asked for support from nonprofits such as Camp Fire, specifically through the Community Letter in Support of Nonpartisanship. Cathy Tisdale, Camp Fire President and CEO, has signed on Camp Fire’s behalf, per the alliance’s direction. So far, more than 2,100 organizations have signed on. Cathy encourages councils to communicate directly with the four recipients of the letter if they represent your state or you have some other connections to them.
According to Cathy, “After all the hard work we put into getting this legislation through Congress in 2015, losing the funding now would be a terrible blow to many of our after-school programs.”
Legislator addresses:
The Honorable Roy Blunt
Chairman
Appropriations Subcommittee on
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Patty Murray
Ranking Member
Appropriations Subcommittee on
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Tom Cole
Chairman
House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations Subcommittee
2467 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Ranking Member
House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations Subcommittee
2413 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
For more information on this important initiative, go to afterschoolalliance.org
