Boys & Girls Club reports improvements, seeks sustainable funding for ARPA mental‑health pilot

Sandra Quigg, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisonburg-Rockingham, told Harrisonburg City Council on Sept. 23 that a city ARPA grant of approximately $125,000 funded a pilot to expand mental‑health supports for after‑school youth.

The pilot used a three‑pronged approach: direct programming for youth, training for club staff, and family outreach. Quigg said the program hired a mental‑health advocate, contracted a graduate assistant for data collection, partnered with James Madison University’s Madison Center for Community Development and coordinated trainings with Harrisonburg City Schools.

“The grant takes a three‑prong approach: assist the youth, assist the staff, and assist the families,” Quigg said. She told council the clubs serve “6 to 800” youth annually and are uniquely positioned to reach children ages 5–18 with daily contact.

Anna Garst, a graduate student at James Madison University working on implementation and evaluation, described the curricula in use: an evidence‑based compassion‑and‑resilience program (referred to in…