On Monday, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced a donation of $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown, to be used to continue services at the organization’s Cumberland Gardens Clubhouse. The funding will help keep the location operational after federal funding cuts pushed them to the brink of closure.
The space used for the Cumberland Gardens Clubhouse is located in a building owned by the Allentown Housing Authority. Federal funding cuts to the Authority meant they could no longer offer the Boys & Girls Club the space for free, as they have for several decades.
The Boys & Girls Club said the additional $180,000 a year to keep the space open would be unaffordable and called on the community to contribute to a fundraiser.
Cumberland Gardens has offered youth in South Allentown educational and recreational after-school and summer programs for almost 50 years. Much of its programming seeks to put young people on a path to success, reducing violent crime and the domino effects of drug addiction that many members of the community face.
Gavin Holihan called the donation a “long-term crime prevention investment.” Studies have shown that violent crime and gang participation are significantly reduced in communities that have Boys & Girls Club locations. Holihan emphasized there’s no better way to spend money in the criminal justice system, especially these funds, which were seized from drug dealers.
Last year alone, the Cumberland Gardens Clubhouse served almost 350 youth ages 6 through 18. Their attendance increased by 10% this school year.
The Boys & Girls Club of Allentown is still working to raise $500,000 to ensure the location can remain open for at least a few more years. Donations can be made at givebutter.com/cumberland.
