LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — For years, For The Children has been a lifeline for kids in Lake Worth Beach, offering afterschool programs, homework help, and leadership development. But now, leaders say demand is far outpacing the space they have available.
WATCH BELOW: 'There's a lot more we can do through our partnership with the city,' Tom McArdle tells WPTV
Inside the Youth Empowerment Learning Center, students from elementary through high school crowd into one small space. The building is dated, with bullet holes still visible in the windows on one side, and only one bathroom inside. Despite the challenges, it's where many students have found their footing — finishing homework, getting tutoring, or even getting ahead in dual enrollment classes.
"It just gets crowded for one thing and this is a co-ed program with one bathroom, which is why the city set aside some great money to do some renovations," said Tom McArdle, executive director of Hoops to Hope. "But having access to these other spaces, Osborne Community Center, the gym down the road, provides other options and quite frankly puts us in a position to serve more kids."
At Tuesday night's commission meeting, leaders with the nonprofit sounded the alarm. They said over the summer, the city stepped in — making the Osborne Center and a community gym available to host programs. But during the school year, space has once again become a major obstacle.
One option on the table would allow the nonprofit to use the community center five days a week — but at a cost of $10,000 a month. The nonprofit said that's simply not possible, and they're asking the city for help finding a better solution.
With a growing waiting list, McArdle said even being able to add just a few more kids into the program can make a difference.
"There's also a couple of kids that we just got in this year and I think it's a major victory, because if they weren't here, they'd be over on G Street just roaming around," McArdle said.
The nonprofit said many of the children they serve don't have the same advantages as those in wealthier communities. But with the right resources, they've seen students go on to college and thrive.
"There's a lot more we can do through our partnership with the city, and I believe we will," McArdle added.
McArdle said conversations are already underway to find a solution that's more financially feasible for the nonprofit, in the meantime a grant for renovations to the current building has been secured and should also provide the non-profit some relief.
