The Duneland Family YMCA has been awarded a $5,000 JCPenney Afterschool grant to reach more youth during the danger zone - between 3-6 p.m. when as many as 15 million of America’s youth are out of school, unsupervised and at risk of negative behavior.

More than 700 YMCAs nationwide submitted grant proposals seeking funding for their afterschool programs through an alliance between the YMCA of the USA and JCPenney Afterschool, established in 1999 to help provide affordable, high-quality YMCA afterschool programs in save environments for children. This year 400 were awarded the grant.

“We’re grateful for the grant. This funding will enable us to build our reading program in our afterschool care program at the elementary schools, expand our ‘Afternoons R.O.C.K. in Indiana’ program for young people ages 10 to 14 and get involved with some of the high school service groups,” said Bob Rhoda, Executive Director, adding the local Y matched the grant with funds from the annual campaign to sustain the program.

J.C. Penney Company, Inc. is a major supporter of the non-profit JCPenney Afterschool Fund.

“It’s a privilege for us to be able to support YMCA afterschool programs,” said Ed Solczak, Director of JCPenney Afterschool. “YMCAs continue to make tremendous impact every day in the lives of America’s youth through high-quality afterschool programs, and JCPenney is proud to be a part of that.”

Posted 10/2/2002