Hoyer Secured Nearly $200,000 in Federal Funds for Bayside Boys and Girls Club
NORTH BEACH, MD - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement today after joining Mayor Mark Frazier and supporters of the Bayside Boys and Girls Club at their Sparkle on the Bay Fundraiser yesterday evening.
"Over the years that I have been involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs, I have seen how these clubs make an impact in the lives of so many at-risk youth. Through their hard work, and our continued support, Boys and Girls Clubs have opened in more communities, and the number and quality of programs offered have expanded. I personally know the benefits of the Boys and Girls Clubs - as I belonged to clubs in both Florida and Maryland when I was growing up.
"We need to work together to make sure that the Boys and Girls Clubs continue to receive the funds that they need to continue their work. That is why I was pleased to work with Mayor Frazier to secure $194,000 in federal funds to expand the Bayside Boys and Girls Club in North Beach through the construction of a gym and a multipurpose room to serve as a teen center and special programs and activities room.
"And, we need to build even greater support and understanding of what we in this room know to be true—that these clubs work for our communities, and we need more of them. The Bayside Boys and Girls Club has indeed become a sparkling star on the Bay where it offers programs to our young people to learn the value of leadership, community involvement and aiming to reach their goals.
"It costs on average about $200 per youth per year to run a Boys and Girls Club, but the cost to keep a young adult in jail costs taxpayers anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 per year. One thing I've learned in Congress is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This Club, and those throughout the 5th Congressional District, and indeed all across our nation, are a wonderful example of a community partnership, and a federal investment, that works."
Congressman Hoyer is a product of the Boys and Girls Club in District Heights, Maryland and has long been a supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of America by working to increase the amount of federal funding the Club receives.