Leonard Ricchiuti, executive director of the Albany Police Athletic League (PAL), is hopeful that ARPA funds will be available starting October 1.
Albany Police Athletic League Rebounds with ARPA Funds After Pandemic Setbacks
The head of the Albany Police Athletic League (PAL), Leonard Ricchiuti, told News 10 that he is happy about how the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will help his program. Since these funds have been coming in for almost two years, Ricchiuti thinks they are very important for getting the group back on track after all the problems caused by COVID-19. Fewer kids joined the program because of the pandemic, and it was hard to hire staff. The ARPA funds give the program a chance to get back on its feet.
The pandemic has left its mark that is still being felt. It’s hard for the school to keep up with its summer camps and other events. Ricchiuti says that hiring staff is still hard, even though the program has brought back a lot of services. They will be able to hire a full-time athletic coordinator thanks to the ARPA cash. By adding sports to the program, this new job will be very helpful, and Ricchiuti hopes that this will help young people and local police get along better.
How ARPA Funds Will Enhance Albany PAL’s Youth Programs
Ricchiuti thinks the ARPA funds will be good for the program and thinks they will start by October 1. The money will be used to hire people and keep a lot of kids’ events free. The PAL wants to build stronger community ties and give local kids great chances by adding more interactive activities like sports with police officers.
Furthermore, Ricchiuti thinks that the ARPA funds will make it easier for the Albany PAL to provide a wide range of events and strengthen ties with the community. To get more sports involved in the school, the plan calls for adding an athletic coordinator. This will make it easier for teens and police officers to talk to each other in a casual setting, making the area more interesting. The PAL hopes that this effort will improve the program for participants while keeping the services free for families. This shows that the PAL is dedicated to doing a good job for the community.
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