Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow students know the Kids Club has their back

Did you know that 57% of children enrolled in Tarrytown‘s Are public schools entitled to free or reduced-price meals? Consider this again. … More than half of families who send children to our public schools have income levels that are eligible for this financial assistance. But food aid is just one area where many local families could benefit from support. Hundreds of children in our villages face academic challenges, language barriers, technological obstacles, gaps in after-school supervision and more.

With this in mind, in 2009 Kids‘ The Club of Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow was formed to provide additional support to underserved children and their families. We are an all-volunteer non-profit organization that raises funds and grants for valuable and impactful programs right here in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. These programs provide a wide range of opportunities that help children thrive: academic and literacy support (such as homework help and college prep), recreation and enrichment opportunities (think arts and summer camps) and support for basic needs (such as food and clothing). , to name a few.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, to date we have funded more than $1.2 million in life-changing programs that close service gaps and increase opportunity for approximately 1,500 children each year. We do not run programs ourselves, but work through many well-established organizations in our villages. Examples include Tarrytown School District, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown Community Food Pantry, Warner Library, and RSHM LIFE Center. We also helped identify and launch other transformative programs outside of our community. These include programs offered by Latino U College Access, Folklore Urbano NYC and Westchester Children‘the association. All in all, the children‘ The club assists approximately 20 programs each year with meaningful and accountable financial support that is flexible to meet local needs as they arise.

Through our involvement in the community, we see and hear the positive impact of our help. For example, every June Kids‘ The club meets the seniors of Sleepy Hollow High School who will be the first in their families to attend college. We were delighted to learn that most of these students benefited from more than one program funded by Kids‘ Club. Over the past thirteen years, our help has extended to multiple facets of their lives, including summer camp scholarships for elementary school students, theater arts opportunities for tweens, mentorship for high school students and college preparation programs for older students. Being present at all stages of a child‘Its life has such a transformative impact, and we are proud to be able to offer this support.

As a participant in the program, Joey M., now a student at Cornell University, shared, “Thanks to the children‘ Club for your help in supporting programs such as [RSHM LIFE Center] and Latino U, which made such a difference in my life. Tarrytown School District Superintendent Christopher Borsari expressed his gratitude oo, saying, “Kids Club sstands out for its comprehensive and unwavering commitment to supporting our students and the wider community. Whenever a clear need arises, they can be counted on to provide invaluable short and long term assistance.long-term resources to help our students, their families, and the residents of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.

Over the past year, requests to children‘ The club’s financial support has doubled in dollars requested. As individual donations are our primary source of funding, we thank all of our donors for their continued support. As always, our Board pays for all administrative costs, so every dollar donated goes to support programs.