Grant puts Boys & Girls Club on path to growth

A $5 million state grant slated for upgrades to the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester's facilities should keep the smiles on these kid's faces. MARTIN WILBUR PHOTO

By MARTIN WILBUR

The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester was recently awarded a $5 million state grant toward renovation of its Mount Kisco facility that promises to sharply increase the number of children the organization serves.

The club was one of 37 organizations statewide to share $106.5 million to go toward construction and infrastructure improvements that will expand or preserve childcare in their communities. Along with the YMCA of Rye, which received $1.5 million, it was one of only two Westchester entities to receive money through the Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program that is overseen by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.

Alyzza Ozer, chief executive officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, said the money will help pay for a larger renovation that is projected to cost up to $15 million. Once completed, the project would expand the capacity of Boys & Girls Club programs at the site by as much as 60%, she said. Current average daily attendance is more than 700 children among all of the club’s programs.

“So this money will be extraordinarily transformational because what we’ll be able to do is to renovate actual space that will allow us to serve more kids,” Ozer said.

The $5 million was the maximum amount that could be awarded to a single organization. The Boys & Girls Club was one of only five entities to receive that amount, she said.

For the past two years, the Boys & Girls Club has been working on plans with its architects and engineers to find the best ways to enhance recreation programs, Ozer added. The state gave preference to organizations that either have a project that is shovel-ready or where planning has commenced, she said.

Ozer said the money for the four-phase project, that is currently estimated to cost $8 million to $15 million, is a full campus construction project that will modernize the facility to increase enrollment in preschool, afterschool programming for children five to 18 years old, the Learn to Swim program, the swim team and summer camp. Current daily attendance is over 700 youth. Last year there was a waitlist of more than 100 families.

Unique opportunity

“That funding is a very unique opportunity,” Ozer said. “I can’t say if it’s a one-time opportunity. I don’t know if they’re going to do more rounds, but that was very specific through DASNY and there was very specific criteria — readiness in terms of construction, impact to the community, what your project is going to be able to improve for the community and for programming.”

Assemblymember Chris Burdick, D-93, said it took a team effort, which included himself, state Sens. Pete Harckham and Shelley Mayer, the leadership of state’s Dormitory Authority and Office of Children and Family Services, the governor’s office as well as strong advocacy from the Boys & Girls Club to be selected for the grant.

Fast work

“The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester did a terrific job, and very quickly, putting together everything,” Burdick said. “The time frames for the submission were very tight and they did a super job getting it all done.”

In a statement announcing the grant awards two weeks ago, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the money dedicated toward childcare reaffirms the pledge that state officials made to improve its availability in New York.

“Access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential for children, families and New York’s economy,” Hochul stated. “These investments will help communities across the state create and improve childcare facilities, giving more families access to the care they need while supporting working parents and strengthening local economies.”

It helped that OCFS Commissioner DaMia Harris-Madden and DASNY President and CEO Robert Rodriguez are both from Westchester, Burdick said.

Crucial funding

He stressed the grant is crucial funding for the Boys & Girls Club, which in the last few years has seen its eligibility for grant programs significantly reduced because of a new formula used by the state to determine how much money organizations receive from the state Learning and Enrichment Afterschool Programs fund.

Ozer said nonprofit organizations that are eligible for that money are now evaluated in large part on the household income in that school district and in surrounding communities. The Boys & Girls Club lost out on potential state funding despite the fact that more than 70% of the families served are below the federal poverty threshold, she said.

“Community-based organizations, community stakeholders, and government leaders do work together to strengthen communities,” Ozer said. “There is no greater investment than our children and their futures.”   

Other than a small HVAC project, there has been no significant work at the Boys & Girls Club building in about 30 years.