Harlem Students Rally To Keep After-School Programs
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Hundreds of Manhattan students rallied to keep after-school programs intact Thursday.
Organized by the nonprofit Children's Aid Society, students in Harlem marched to elected officials' offices to hand-deliver their letters supporting the programs in the face of budget cuts.
Organizers say the rough economic climate only emphasizes the importance of after-school activities for kids living in poverty.
“Our working families who need to maintain their jobs during this tough economic climate, what are they gonna do if they have no place for their children to go? So this is very, very vital that we get these funds restored and we can continue to provide services to our families," said Casper Lassiter, CAS campus director.
"We’re trying to find more funding, find more ways to build back up the after-school program so the kids won’t be in the streets, they’ll have somewhere to go,” said a CAS worker.
Students from two schools in Washington Heights also marched and delivered letters to their representatives.