4-H Program Receives Afterschool Grant By Fawn Roark The Ashe County 4-H School Age Care Program has received a national JC Penney Afterschool Fund Grant for the 4-H Westwood Afterschool Program that will serve 25 families who now receive full scholarships for the program. The Ashe County 4-H School Age Care Program has received a national JC Penney Afterschool Fund Grant that will pay for afterschool care for 25 local children and they also each received a $100 gift certificate from JC Penney. Photo by Fawn Roark One of the grant requirements was that the Afterschool Program be located within 20 miles from a JC Penney Department Store. In June, 2006 subsidy monies were cut causing 123 families in Ashe County to lose subsidy money for afterschool care. To counteract this issue, Ashe County 4-H School Age Care Program applied for the grant, which they received. The JC Penney Afterschool Fund, a charitable organization committed to providing access to safe and enriching afterschool programs for America’s underserved youth, according to information found online at www.jcpenneyafterschool.org. Recent studies show that 14.3 million children in the United States are unsupervised after school between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Studies also show that youth are at greater risk of involvement in crime, drug abuse and other destructive behaviors during these hours. In an effort to address this critical issue, JC Penney created the JC Penney Afterschool Fund, a charitable organization committed to providing access to safe and enriching afterschool programs for America’s underserved youth. Since its inception, the charity has contributed over $22 million to afterschool programs nationwide, and this year alone more than 15,000 children will benefit from JC Penney Afterschool Fund grants. Recently a celebration reception was held at the Ashe Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. “We are always looking for funding so we can offer new opportunities for our children. We have received funding through the JC Penney Afterschool Fund for your students at Westwood Elementary,” 4H Program Association/School Age Care Linda Blackburn of the 4H School Age Program explained to the parents at the celebration event. “Your children will be able to go to afterschool and the cost will be covered for the school year. This is a major accomplishment and we are excited about that. JC Penney realized what a wonderful thing afterschool is and how important it is for children. It is important because it allows parents to work and their children to be in a safe environment where they can enjoy where they are. We appreciate you in trusting your children to us.” Some of the parents complimented the afterschool program including one parent who said her child really enjoys being in afterschool. “It’s wonderful to know he enjoys being there so much and it allows me to perform my job much better knowing he likes being there,” one parent commented. The tuition for afterschool is $35 per week and the 25 children in this program will be allowed to participate in afterschool activities at no cost to the parent. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this to you, but we need your children there in afterschool on a regular basis. We have also received a special gift for the children,” Blackburn added. “We received 25 $100 gift cards for the children so they can go to any JC Penney store and spend their money. We hope you all enjoy this.” According to the JC Penney Afterschool Fund information, the growing problem of inadequate afterschool supervision for America’s youth cuts across all ethnic, income and demographic boundaries, and positive solutions have the potential to affect society in a meaningful way. High-quality afterschool programs keep children safe and help to produce life-changing, lasting benefits, including healthier lifestyles, improved social skills, and enhanced academic performance. The goal of the JC Penney Afterschool Fund is to increase the number of afterschool programs and promote awareness of the need for quality programs. The multi-million dollar educational Fund works with national organizations known for their proven outreach and advocacy programs. JC Penney Afterschool partners include the Afterschool Alliance, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Junior Achievement, National 4-H, and YMCA of the USA. For more information about local 4-H Afterschool Programs, call the Ashe Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension at 336-219-2650.