Albany Commission to revisit $500,000 proposal for summer youth program

ALBANY – With the reported demise of a program that provided summer meals, sports and learning opportunities to hundreds of Dougherty County children, other local governments and organizations are scrambling to take up some of the slack.

Last week, individuals who have worked in the National Youth Sports Program that had been held each summer for half a century reported that Albany State University will not be hosting the program this year.

So far, the city of Albany, Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany have indicated their willingness to boost the number of children they will serve in 2026.

In all, the three are looking at providing space for about 550 more children than were served in the summer of 2025, Albany Assistant City Manager Derrick Brown told city commissioners during their Tuesday work session. That includes boosting the number of participants in the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office Summer Program from about 100 to 350. 

The city is looking at hosting an additional 240 participants above what it has traditionally hosted.  Several City Commission members expressed a desire to do more.

One possibility is to partner with the United Way of Southwest Georgia, which last month presented a proposal to coordinate the existing programs hosted by the various organizations and governmental agencies. 

The United Way requested $175,000 initially from the Dougherty County Commission and $250,00 from the city of Albany. Neither entity has taken a vote on the proposals.

“Why not have … one umbrella and make sure all these students of Dougherty County are safe?” Commissioner Collette Jenkins said. “I appreciate you attempted this, but what I want most of all (is that) from June 1 these students will be safe and they will be in a program.”

In reviewing the situation, city staff determined that expanding existing programs for 2026 would have a greater likelihood of success than embarking on a new model put together in a short amount of time.

“To put this together in a month and a half and having to get the program you want is difficult,” City Manager Terrell Jacobs said. “It’s a great proposal, but based on the time frame, it doesn’t give us enough time and does not give other community partners time.”

The city manager said that he suggested to United Way that the agency work on a comprehensive program for next summer. 

“I think it needs some time to develop,” he said. “It’s like you didn’t give these community partners time to make a decision.”

There also is a cost factor. The United Way initially requested about $250,000, but its latest proposal is in the range of $500,000, Jacobs said.

The organization’s pitch was for 2,000 participants, but that number would include the youngsters involved in other existing summer programs, including the annual Swim For Life program operated by Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.

While the city’s seven-week summer program comes at a cost to $21 per week per child, Commissioner Diana Brown said that some families in Albany are unable to afford that amount.

The Sheriff’s Office’s five-week program is free of charge, while the Boys & Girls Clubs’ program has a fee of $300 for its eight-week program, according to Brown.

Based on a request from Jenkins and comments from other commissioners, Jacobs agreed to have United Way return during the April 21 work session for further discussion. The city manager said that his job is to give commissioners the pros and cons about proposals and will carry out their wishes if they decide to go in a different direction.

“I believe, as he said in his proposal, he already has partners ready to go,” Jenkins said of the United Way. “I believe if we give him a chance, this will change Albany.”

Among his concerns, Mayor Bo Dorough said that the proposal has no track record and that the city would have to figure out how to fund a new, $500,000 expenditure.

“That is a very big ask,” he said.

During its meeting on Monday, Dougherty County commissioners heard an update from Sheriff Terron Hayes on efforts to serve more students this summer. Within days of opening up the application process the agency had received some 250 applications, he said.

To ramp up the program, the sheriff’s office, which is assisted by officers from the Albany Police Department, Dougherty County Police Department and Dougherty County School System Police Department in putting on the program, is looking at increasing the number of adults providing supervision and a larger site than Merry Acres Middle School.

“This is a very critical thing,” County Commissioner Anthony Jones said. “We need to do something for our children. Every time you turn around, there’s a 15-, 17-, 18-year-old being shot. Every day they’re on the street they’re more likely to do something they shouldn’t be doing.

“We need to all come to the table and see what we can do collectively. I think what needs to happen is everybody needs to come to the table.”

The sheriff did not give a number of the anticipated additional costs the expansion of the agency’s summer program will have, but said that he has discussed it with County Commissioner Clinton Johnson.

“It’s going to be a big difference because we’re going to take in a greater number of kids,” he said. “That’s going to cost. This information (about Albany State) was just presented to us last week. It’s a last-minute thing. That’s why there won’t be a (funding) ask” at this time.

Albany State has not responded to requests from The Albany Herald for comment on the status of the National Youth Sports Program.