MARION, Ind. (WANE) — Multiple sides are speaking out in the aftermath of Grant County losing its Boys & Girls Club chapter in late July.
The organization made the announcement July 24, saying it would have to close the next day.
The club is overseen by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, which acts as a regional affiliate for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. President and CEO Joe Jordan told WANE 15 the Fort Wayne branch took over operations in Grant County around five years ago because the national brass threatened to end the club due to a lack of programs and community support. He added that a “major stakeholder” in the Grant County community will try to fill the gap and provide some after-school programs for children.
‘I don’t look at this as a failure’: Boys & Girls Club of Grant County shuts down
However, a staff member at the Grant County branch argues that there was enough community support to keep the club afloat and that mismanagement from Fort Wayne led to its downfall…