The Mahomet Area Youth Club has a chance to be awarded a $25,000 grant. But the organization that provides affordable childcare options for low-income families needs the help of the community it serves to win.
“With the altered school plans for learning, families are faced with choosing between working and appropriate childcare and educational options,” Executive Director Sara Balgoyen said in an email Sunday. “MAYC has adapted and created a new program- a “virtual learning program” for Jr. High students to meet the needs of families. This adapted program is a full day program, preventing students from being unsupervised and home alone while also improving educational outcomes and social and emotional development in a safe space with caring adults.
“Changing our programming has meant the need for additional resources.”
MAYC applied for the State Farm Neighborhood Assistance Grant Program to help bridge that gap. They are one of 200 finalists for the grant that will be awarded to 40 organizations in the United States.
With a 1 in 5 chance to receive the grant, MAYC is asking the Mahomet community to simply vote for the program that provides year-round out of school programs for kids ages 6-16.
The Neighborhood Assist submission from MAYC says,
“$25,000 will allow MAYC to provide the necessary programs throughout the school year to support families most in need in the community. The programs that will be needed to respond to the altered school year are ones that MAYC does not normally provide nor currently have resources for and most MAYC families are not able to pay fees that would be needed to cover the costs of the programs. These funds will support parents who need to work, kids who need to learn and the social and emotional needs of all. Without these funds, MAYC will not be able to address the needs of families of our most vulnerable population.”
Voting opens on Sept. 23 and runs through Friday October 2nd. Adults over age 18 with a valid email address can vote up to 10 times per day for their favorite cause.
