TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An after school program in Troy was almost forced to shut its doors this month, until an anonymous donor stepped in. The program, called the Ark, has been helping Troy families for 45 years.
Penny Holmes, the executive director of the Ark, has been part of the program since she was a little kid herself. She said, the idea of it going away, broke her heart.
“It was devastating, not only to the families we serve but to our staff as well," Penny said.
This enrichment and mentoring program was known for its various activities for children. Staff held nutrition, culture and summer programs, along with many others. Penny said they primarily took care of children from ages five to 16.
However, these good efforts were all in grave jeopardy after the state cut off its funding this July. The group typically relies on a five year grant that totals about $1 million, Penny said. Without that, Penny was left with no choice.
“Without having that, which is 90% of our budget, is devastating, there’s no way to stay open, especially for a smaller organization," Penny said.
However, one afternoon, a phone call changed everything.
“I got a call, I would say just a little over two weeks ago, and I thought it was a scam," said Penny.
Yet, this wasn't a scam. An anonymous donor heard about the closure and said they wanted to change that.
“And [they] said our family can help, our family can help and we wanna do this, and the rest is history," said Penny.
The anonymous donor sent enough money to cover the cost for the entire 2024-2025 school year. Since the donor wanted to remain unidentified, their financial advisor Timothy Wilson spoke on their behalf. He said its a gift for the community.
“This is a multigenerational thing, I think that they felt was important because without programs like this for kids and their families there might not be other opportunities," Wilson said.
Penny said she is eternally grateful for the donor's generosity. However, she noted that this will only be a Band-Aid for their bigger problem.
“The biggest donation we’ve ever had, but it’s not going to keep us going. It buys us time is what it does," said Penny.
For now, the plan is to look for other funding partnerships to continue into the 2025-2026 school year. She also hopes that the state will come up with a new funding plan.
“We’re going to aggressively be looking at that, and definitely different collaborations and partnerships going forward, because there’s no guarantee at this point," said Penny.
Although she's unsure about a future plan, Penny said one thing is for certain -- the growing need for child care services.
“The need has grown and the services have grown as well. I mean our location, were in one of the highest need areas in the city of Troy," said Penny.
The program will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 5. While staff members said they are almost full, parents still have time to enroll their kids online or in-person. For more information on enrollment, visit their website.
