Gary’s City Life Center of Northwest Indiana has been an anchor for struggling families since 2013, offering free after-school childcare and challenging academic programs, exploring space and literally planting seeds.
Now, the center needs help to stay afloat.
The elimination of a federal grant by President Donald Trump’s U.S. Department of Education, along with the loss of another federal grant, has left the after-school program in jeopardy.
City Life closed earlier this month amidst a budget crisis. Its schedule typically coincided with the school calendar in Gary, but it had to close a month early, said executive director Josh Austin.
City Life still plans to offer a summer camp for grades K-12 from June 8 to July 24.
In 2021, City Life received a three-year $662,000 federal grant from the Department of Education to establish academically-based afterschool programs.
It also received a $127,000 COVID-19 relief grant.
“When Trump took office, he began to cut education grants,” said Austin. “Our 21st Century Learning Center grant got cut and when it was time to renew, it was closed.
“We used to depend on it… It made the program free for students,” he said.
The Gary Community School Corp. also received a $787,500 grant from the Department of Education for the same program. It partnered with the YWCA of Northwest Indiana to improve student academic performance.
A spokeswoman confirmed the school district’s grant was also terminated.
City Life, located at 225 W. 5th Ave., still funded its staff and food for students, Austin said. City Life employs about 30 people, most of whom live in Gary.
Austin said the center receives financial support from Bethel Church but City Life’s needs exceed what the church can provide.
The funding loss caused City Life to begin charging families $100 a month in tuition and $75 for transportation last year. Attendance dropped from more than 100 to about 60.
“The median income in the area is less than $30,000,” Austin said. “Families just can’t afford it. They end up not choosing to put children in childcare.”
For now, Anita Armstrong is paying tuition for her grandson, Nova, 8, because she sees the benefits of the program.
“I love the program, it’s hands-on and they engage with the children. They learn about agriculture, they plant seeds, grow vegetables and go on field trips,” she said.
She said the yoga and meditation offerings give children a sense of peace amid lives that are sometimes in upheaval.
Children also learned a few cooking skills in the kitchen.
“It kind of inspired him. When I’m in the kitchen, he asks to help,” said Armstrong, who’s Nova’s legal guardian.
Affording the classes is still important, so Armstrong is shouldering the tuition.
“It does get a little difficult at times, but we’ve been managing. I do know a lot of children have left the program because they said their parents couldn’t afford it.”
City Life’s financial turmoil has left Armstrong frustrated.
“How do they expect us to have programs and survive?” she asked.
Parent Linda Hines, who’s also a City Life volunteer, appreciates the experiences City Life has provided her teen daughters, Shanniya,12, and La’Mya, 14.
“They love the program. They come faithfully and enjoy the arts and crafts,” she said.
Hines said paying the tuition isn’t a struggle for her for now but she knows other families who can’t afford it.
Many of the program’s families were eligible for state and federally-funded childcare vouchers but the state imposed a waiting list 16 months ago and the General Assembly didn’t include money for it in its budget.
In April, Gov. Mike Braun lifted the freeze, saying $200 million would be pumped into the voucher program that helps needy families afford childcare.
Braun said about 14,000 low-income children would soon be eligible for vouchers that provide free and reduced childcare subsidies by late May. The state budget committee has approved the funding transfer.
The additional money will bring the enrollment to about 57,000 children in the state voucher program.
Austin hopes it’s not too late.
“We had over 30 on the vouchers, now we have six kids,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of families devastated. They have to choose between health, food and childcare.”
Meanwhile, City Life has applied for a Legacy Foundation Resilience grant, and Austin met with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton May 12. Austin said City Life is submitting a funding proposal.
Last year, City Life received $100,000 from the city for a “Leading with the Heart” project to detect, intervene, and prevent issues impacting youth and families.
It was part of the city’s deployment of $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to 10 community-based groups to address mental health issues.
Bethel Church & Ministries, based in Crown Point, purchased the 41,000-square-foot City Life building in 2013 to serve the community with after-school and summer programs.
Once home to the Gary YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club, the building is across from the Gary Public Library and just two blocks west of City Hall and Broadway.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
