WASHINGTON — The D.C. Council announced Wednesday that funding for the Jelleff Community Center Boys & Girls Club is included in their proposed budget.
This comes less than a week after the Mayor's decision not to include funding for the center in her proposed budget drew outrage.
"On the news everyday they talk about our young people. Why would we not fund the place where we know where our kids are? What they're doing, and help them grow and develop into great human beings," said Gabriel Webster, the President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW).
But Wednesday, the club got some good news. The D.C. Council announced that $610,000 in funding for BGCGW would be included in their proposed budget.
"This means everything," said Michael McDonald, the Vice President of Impact and Innovation for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.
He told WUSA9 Wednesday night that the club has been a staple in the Georgetown community for more than 70 years.
"We mean community. We mean a safe place to be. When you go to Jelleff you realize that you are part of something larger," said McDonald.
He told WUSA9 that 70% of the funding will go towards staffing, and the remainder will be used for supplies and overhead costs.
There's no set timeline yet on when renovations will begin, but they're expected to possibly start in the spring of 2025.
WUSA9 reached out to the Mayor's office, and asked why the funding for the community center wasn't included in her proposed budget.
A spokesperson sent back the following statement from the City Administrator:
“Mayor Bowser has fully funded the complete renovation of the Jelleff Recreation Center and her strong support of the District’s world-class family programming is why DC has been recognized as the #1 big city park system in the country four years in a row.”
WUSA9 asked for clarity on the specific reason why the Mayor didn't include funding in her proposed budget, beyond the renovation funding.
A spokesperson for the Mayor's office said, "the center will be closed during the renovations so program funding wasn’t included."
But the club says that's not the case. Webster told WUSA9 last week, that they were planning to still operate at a temporary location while those renovations took place. No funding, meant that couldn't happen.
"We're still going to need a replacement. You should not be zeroing out the funding no matter when the construction starts," said Kishan Putta, ANC 2E01 Commissioner.
The council is expected to cast their second vote on June 12.