Club president pleas for additional funds

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Faced with dwindling sources of funding aggravated by a still-weakened national economy, Tommy Ramirez, Jr. of the Boys and Girls Club of San Benito asked the San Benito City Commission for more money on Tuesday, lest the club close its doors.

Commissioners responded by approving plans to create a committee to help the club’s efforts.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Ramirez, a longtime member and current president of the club’s board, appealed to commissioners to increase Community Development Block Grant funding currently allocated to the club.

“Thank you for allowing us to come before you this evening to present a presentation that I will name, ‘Save the Boys and Girls Club of San Benito,’” Ramirez proclaimed at the opening of his presentation Tuesday. “I have been a board member of the San Benito Boys and Girls Club for approximately 10 years – that’s when I moved to this community. Immediately upon arriving here, because I’d spent most of my life as a member of the Boys and Girls Club, having grown up in one, and also as a professional in the Boys and Girls Club for nine years – long time ago in my career; then many years as a volunteer and a board member in other communities.”

According to Ramirez, in 2004 the club received approximately $103,000 through CDBG funds among other sources, $44,000 from the United Way campaign and $58,000 from various grants.

“Since 2004, every year the revenues have reduced drastically,” Ramirez further remarked. “In 2013, we’re projected to be able to run the Boys and Girls Club with a commitment of $9,000 from the savings. United Way has reduced to gives us in the neighborhood of around $25,000 to $30,000. We don’t have any grants available simply because most of the grants have disappeared.”

Ramirez also said he submitted a grant in 2008 in which the club was able to receive approximately $50,000 to $55,000, but recently the criteria for those grants were rewritten, making the club ineligible to apply for said grants.

“That was a huge blow to us,” Ramirez commented. “We don’t get a lot of money generated through membership because we don’t charge very much to the kids because the kids probably wouldn’t be able to afford to come.”

In order to help those who cannot afford club membership, Ramirez said that he secured community sponsors from the business community, most of which came from Harlingen.

“The bottom line is this: This coming year we’re expected to operate that Boys and Girls Club with approximately $52,000 to $53,000 total revenue,” Ramirez said, addressing the commission. “That’s every possible revenue that we can think of, apart from the fact we have golf tournaments, raffles and barbeque plates. In spite of all that, we’ve been able to serve many kids, all of your children. I think that many of you here that I’m speaking to were probably born and raised, if not lived most of your life here. So the children who I am talking about this evening are your children.”

Ramirez spoke while a slideshow displayed photos of the children participating in various events at the club.

“I guess it comes down to this,” Ramirez said. “I used to be on the school board for 12 years and I know how difficult it can be to sit where you sit and make decisions for the community, to try to do what’s in the best interest of the community. My main concern about this community is your children. There is not another facility in your community that does for your children what the Boys and Girls Club does.

“Yeah, I suppose that in 90 to 120 days until we have no more money to continue running, I guess kids will survive somehow,” continued Ramirez. “Life goes on, right? But have we done the right thing for children? I bid to tell you that I don’t think we have, because the kids love coming to this Boys and Girls Club, lots of kids.”

As reported in a previous article, the club has a membership of close to 1,000 children. According to Boys and Girls Club Director Mario Cervantes, the club has a daily attendance of 70 to 75 kids.

“We were very blessed by the good Lord that about a year and a half after submitting a grant to run a pilot program here in Cameron County, originally scheduled to run in Harlingen because that’s where I created my outreach center, I chose to divert those funds and all the staff attached to it to the Boys and Girls Club, because I knew that was the only way we were going to be able to funnel some life into it,” Ramirez said. “That shouldn’t be the lifeline to the Boys and Girls Club, and it won’t be because that money is a pilot project that may or may not be funded next year, we don’t know.”

Ramirez said that with the figures presented to the commission, it would be impossible for the club to exist.

“You’ll have another empty building, we can call it Dolly Vinsant number two,” Ramirez quipped, referring to the once-defunct Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital that was recently sold after several years of dormancy. “That’s (Dolly Vinsant) not doing anything for this community, and that club does great things for this community.”

Mayor Joe Hernandez, while acknowledging the club’s woes, said the city is already doing all it can.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that kids do come first,” said Hernandez after Ramirez’ presentation. “In my book, kids are first, but there comes times when, as far as the way the economy is nowadays, we need to take care of city needs first. There is no doubt in my mind that we want to help you all to continue doing what you do for the future, which are the kids.”

Hernandez then addressed members of the media in attendance. “Of course, this goes for the newspaper as well: The city does provide the club with free facilities and recreational grounds at all costs. In other cities, the Boys and Girls Clubs own the buildings, so there is some money that the city does give the Boys and Girls Club.”

Hernandez’ sentiments were shared by the commission and Oziel Morales, chairman of the San Benito CDBG, who said that the city had exhausted its budget for the club.

“If anybody knows me personally, I am pro kids. I volunteer endlessly to help kids, and I am with my mayor on that,” said Morales. “Unfortunately, funds dwindle. We’ve actually been decreasing year after year.”

Morales gave a detailed summary of the funds provided to the club for the past few years. Morales said that of the 15 percent of CDBG funds designated for non-profit organizations, 36 percent goes to the Boys and Girls Club.

“We are actually one of your biggest contributors with the limited funds that we actually have,” said Morales. “Whether the city can find other funds or not, it is entirely up to their budget. But we’ve exhausted out budget trying to accommodate you guys. Just last year, you guys got 52.78 percent of that 15 percent in order to help you try to survive this year. We’re always going to try to help you guys with the limited funds we do have.”

Commissioner Joe D. Gonzalez also commented. “There’s no doubt that all of us support 100 percent the children of this community,” said Gonzalez before making a motion to create a committee to meet with Ramirez and his staff, suggesting that the school district also get involved.

The motion, seconded by Commissioner Rene Villafranco, passed unanimously.

Read this story in the Jan. 13 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.