The Boys & Girls Club of Southcentral Alaska, which operates 20 clubhouses around the state including in Ketchikan and Metlakatla, has temporarily paused clubhouse and athletic operations effective Monday. The move comes after funding challenges exacerbated by the weekslong federal government shutdown.
Susan Anderson is the Southcentral Alaska branch’s CEO. She says the organization has seen a slowdown in corporate and individual donations, as well as delays in federal government reimbursements.
“This is extremely difficult, an extremely difficult decision to make,” Anderson said. “It was not done lightly. We know that it impacts people and kids and families and our wonderful employees, but our focus really is to get back to offering a safe, supportive space for kids.”
The Ketchikan or Metlakatla branches could not immediately be reached for comment. But in a Facebook post on Friday, the Ketchikan branch wrote that all of the city’s clubhouse staff have been furloughed.
Anderson says the statewide organization will focus its efforts on long-term financial sustainability. She says she’s been contacting past donors and looking for emergency grants to help bridge the gap.
“Because our clubs, kids still need us.”
Anderson says she expects the closures to be temporary but did not say how long she expects them to be. The organization will provide weekly updates about the closures on its website.
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