‘Kick in the gut.’ Feds freeze $825,000 for Charlotte after-school program
A Charlotte nonprofit expected $826,000 in federal grant funding Tuesday, but it received notice one day earlier that the federal government was withholding the funding indefinitely.
“That’s a lot of money to lose with less than 24 hours notice,” said Liz Luth, board chair emeritus of OurBRIDGE for KIDS. “That feels like a real kick in the gut.”
OurBRIDGE for KIDS provides free after-school and summer programming for immigrant and refugee children in kindergarten through eighth grade. From 3 to 7 p.m. each school day, students get one-on-one English tutoring, homework help and dinner. Students are also encouraged to participate in activities celebrating the cultures of their heritage and sharing them with other students.
“OurBRIDGE is really to support and help these kids acclimate,” Luth said. “It’s really to support their success foundationally as part of our community.”
The program began in 2014 with just 35 students. In 2025, it had 250 students from 27 different countries of origin.
OurBRIDGE expected to get around $826,000 this year from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant. However, the Department of Education announced June 30 it would withhold more than $6 billion from 21st Century Community Learning Centers recipients indefinitely while it reviewed whether they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.
“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” Education Department officials wrote in the notice sent to affected programs, which The Associated Press obtained.
Luth said the funding accounts for about 30-40% of OurBRIDGE’s total budget.
“It’s a huge chunk,” Luth told The Charlotte Observer. “Lots of things will have to be cut.”
The gap is enough to jeopardize OurBRIDGE’s after-school program, OurBRIDGE founder and executive director Sil Ganzó said in a news release Thursday.
Luth said the organization will likely have to cut positions or make some of its approximately 35 employees part-time.
“We’re trying to minimize what we cut that children and families would have to bear the brunt of,” Luth said.
The organization is now turning to the community for support and brainstorming ways to fundraise in order to close some of the gap.
“While public pressure on Governor Stein, AG Jeff Jackson, NC Representatives and community advocacy may lead to the release of these legally mandated funds, our Board and leadership are planning as if they won’t be available,” said Ganzó. “We will do what we can with what we have, which is why public support is critical right now.”
Luth said it’s still hard to say whether OurBRIDGE will have to pause its summer programs currently underway.
“These parents are working and trying to also acclimate themselves, and pulling this out from under them could really limit where they can send their children that they can afford,” Luth said.
During the school year, the program works with 18 local schools, including Pinewood Elementary, Merry Oaks Elementary, Windsor Park Elementary, Winterfield Elementary and Eastway Middle School. Luth said the Board is still reeling from the news and plans to meet to discuss what’s next and communicate with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
