Thank you for support

On behalf of the Arkansas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, we wanted to publicly thank Sen. John Boozman and others for their support of the youth we serve in the recently passed omnibus spending bill for FY 2018. The critical programs funded in the omnibus will have a direct impact on the work our clubs do throughout Arkansas.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Boozman is in a unique position to help determine the priorities of our federal government, and his support of the federal spending bill shows that the senator is willing to champion the needs of youth here in Arkansas, as well as 4 million kids and teens served by Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

Many of our clubs receive 21st Century funding that supports educational enhancement programs after school, as well as youth mentoring funds that pass to clubs from the U.S. Department of Justice. These funding streams that benefit youth were not only restored, but increased for the next fiscal year. This support is a key reason, along with state and strong private support from committed donors statewide, that we will continue serving the 75,000 children and youth that come through our doors each year.

We would also like to thank for their vote the three U.S. House members from Arkansas who supported the spending bill: Rep. Rick Crawford, Rep. French Hill and Rep. Steve Womack. We are extremely fortunate to have their support in Washington.

DAN ROLETT and KAYLA LAWRENCE

Benton Dan Rolett is president of the Arkansas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs; Kayla Lawrence is alliance director.