Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (D-Rotterdam) announced on Thursday that the state budget includes funding that will enable the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady to serve thousands of additional meals to children in our region.

The state budget allocated $750,000 for a Boys & Girls Club’s nutrition initiative that will help feed an additional 10,000 young people across the state. Funding will be distributed through the NYS Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, which represents 51 different clubs across the state.

“The Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady is a positive force in our community and is an important organization for our families, which is why I have always worked closely with them and fought to secure the state funding they needed to do an even better job for our children,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara.

In our area, the funding will result in 7,000 meals this year, which is in addition to the meals the local club is already providing on a daily basis.

"There is nothing more important to the development of young people than having nutritious meals every day. Thanks to the state’s wonderful investment in the Boys & Girls Club's Nutrition Initiative, thousands of children across New York State are able to focus on learning and having fun, instead of being hungry or wondering when they might eat again,” said Shane Bargy, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady.