Broward legislative members help Boys & Girls Clubs
State Senator Chris Smith (D) Fort Lauderdale, makes check presentation at the Nan Knox BGC in Fort Lauderdale.
From Jack Cory
Governor Rick Scott visited Broward County recently to announce that the Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Florida would receive $9 Million in the Budget that he had approved.
But long before Governor Scott had the opportunity to approve the Budget two Senior Members of the Broward County Legislative Delegation had carried the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Club Appropriation request through the maze that is the State Budget Appropriations Process.
State Senator Chris Smith D – Fort Lauderdale and Sate Representative Joe Gibbons D – Hollywood took up the cause too provide more funding for Delinquency Prevention and Mentoring Programs to the youth in Broward County and throughout Florida.
Senator Smith and Rep. Gibbons personally carried theĀ Boys & Girls Clubs Budget Appropriation request through the Appropriation Sub Committees, Full Committee, Full Legislature back to Appropriation ConferenceĀ Sub and Full Committees, to the Legislative Leadership and then again to a vote by the Full Legislature.
Senator Chris Smith is the Senate Minority Leader of the Florida Senate and a Member of the Senate Appropriation Committee. He served on the Budget Appropriation Conference Committee
Rep. Joe Gibbons is the Ranking Member of the House Budget Appropriation Committee. He also served on the Budget Appropriation Conference Committee.
Because of the Legislative Leadership of Senator Smith, Rep. Gibbons and others the Boys & Girls Clubs in Florida will be able to serve over 57,000 youth with Delinquency Prevention and Mentoring Programs this year.
All of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Florida are Members of the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs which represents over 237 Clubs from Pensacola to Key West that served over 135,000 youth last year. They have over 14,000 Board Members, Adult Staff and Program Volunteers that assist with after school care, summer programs, assistance with homework, reading, computer work, delinquency prevention and mentoring programs. They are the place where young people are provided with the tools and guidance to achieve academic success, become community leaders and lead healthy lifestyles.
A recent Florida TaxWatch Study found that for every 100 additional High School Graduates that Boys & Girls Clubs help saves the State of Florida over $29,000,000.00.
There are over 4 Million youth in Florida 6 to 18 years old. Over 900,000 of them live at or below the poverty level.
