Rep. Scholten Announces Release Of $600,000 Federal Grant For The Boys & Girls Club Of the Muskegon Lakeshore As A Result Of Her Advocacy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten announced that $600,000 in held-up federal funds for the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore is being released, following her direct advocacy to the Secretary of Education. A day before the Club was set to receive the funding, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it was freezing the distribution of certain grants, leaving the Club with a major, unexpected gap in funding. On July 9th, Representative Scholten visited the Club for a tour and to hear directly from leadership about the impact of the funding gap. Scholten also directly advocated with the Education Secretary Linda McMahon, sending a letter that highlighted the importance of the Boys and Girls Club to the Muskegon community, and demanding that funding be released. The Club serves over 1,400 children each year in a community where many low-income families rely heavily on its services. Representative Scholten advocated to Secretary McMahon for the immediate release of the grant; shortly afterwards, the funding was released.  

“The Boys and Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore does tremendous work setting our young people up to succeed. I was proud to advocate directly to the Secretary of Education on its behalf to get these funds released.” said Representative Scholten. “I will continue to fight for Michigan’s incredible non-profits and ensure they have the federal support they need to serve our communities.” 

“Thanks to Congresswoman Scholten’s unwavering advocacy, our Oakridge sites will remain a safe and inspiring place for young people to learn, grow, and succeed. Her leadership directly ensured that critical 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding reached the communities that depend on it, and because of her efforts, our kids will continue to have access to the resources and opportunities they deserve,” and Christopher J. Dean, Interim CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Muskegon Lakeshore.

The Boys and Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore serves hundreds of children every year, offering afterschool programs that improve student engagement, attendance, and grades, keep students on track to graduate from high school on time, and help high schoolers apply to college. The $600,000 will cover the salaries for 19 workers who provide free summer programming from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday.

The full text of Representative Scholten’s letter to Education Secretary McMahon is available here. 

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