VERGENNES — The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes is receiving $33,600 in federal grants to support its activities and programs as part of a statewide $550,000 bequest to the five Vermont Boys and Girls Clubs.  
That statewide bequest, announced last week by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is nearly 10 percent more than the previous year.
The state’s Boys & Girls Clubs rely on the annual federal funding as a key source of their annual revenue, along with local fundraising efforts and donations. More than $8 million in grants have gone to fund local Boys & Girls Clubs in Vermont since 2005.
According to a press release from Leahy’s office, Leahy, the senior most member of the Appropriations Committee and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, strongly advocated for the funding. In 2001 he led a bipartisan coalition to restore funding for the clubs when federal support was threatened with elimination.
Last week’s grant announcement coincided with National Mentoring Month, highlighting the efforts of volunteers who encourage and guide the nation’s youth.
“Mentors help mold Vermont’s young people to become the leaders of tomorrow,” Leahy said. “Their tireless efforts to influence positive change deserve our deepest appreciation, and our support.”
The grant awards for the other four Vermont Clubs were:
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Burlington, $225,600.
• Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, $104,400.
• Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County, $124,000.
• Washington County Youth Service Bureau and Boys & Girls Club, $62,400.
The clubs are represented in all 50 states and reach millions of young people each year, providing after-school, evening, weekend and summer programs. Leahy noted that Boys and Girls Clubs have shown their effectiveness in keeping children and young adults off the streets and away from the influences of drugs, crime and gangs.