LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — It's after-school classrooms and summer programs where some of our most at-risk kids come to learn. But, more importantly, have a safe space when they're not in school. Rachel Strucko is the executive director of the SHINE after-school program.
"We believe in it. It changes lives. And for the communities that we serve, this is important," said Strucko.
Programs such as SHINE and ACHIEVE provide homework help, and a hot meal. More than 60,000 of them every year. But these same classrooms are in jeopardy of shutting down in just about a month.
"We struggle with a lot of things. We have some food insecurities, we have high suicide rates, drug and alcohol, we struggle with. So, by having a really strong after-school program between those hours of 3 and 7, we can take the most at-risk children and put them in a healthy, positive environment," added Strucko.
The state funding needed to keep them open may instead be redirected to schools in big cities, including Philadelphia. This would leave nearly hundreds of at-risk kids in 24 different schools throughout Luzerne, Carbon, Pike, Wayne, and Schuylkill counties with nowhere to go.
"Giving half of the pie to the cities, the big cities, is unfair to the children of northeastern Pennsylvania, and they deserve a piece too," said Rep. Jamie Barton.
Local leaders and politicians gathered at Maple Manor Elementary in Hazleton to call attention to the need for these after-school and summer programs, which have been in our communities for decades.
"What I don't understand is that some of these efforts have been funded for 10, 20 years. Then, this year, they're told, 'Well, sorry, your money is drying up after June. That doesn't make any sense to me at all,'" said Senator Dave Argall.
Hoping their message gets to Harrisburg, calling on Governor Josh Shapiro to open up more funding so these programs can continue. Without it, the programs will likely shut down at the end of June.