Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji Discusses Funding With Beltrami County Board

The Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area recently met with Beltrami County Commissioners to voice their concerns about state funding for their programs.

At the work session meeting earlier on Tuesday, Andrea Ohnstad, the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area, told commissioners that “tough decisions” had to be made regarding the budget from the Department of Employment and Economic Development. The club’s state funding will be reduced by $10 million, meaning the Boys and Girls Club in Bemidji will lose $46,800 of funding money to support kids. Ohnstad says they’ve asked the George W. Neilson Foundation to increase their funding.

“So when we found out that we were losing $46,800 to support kids, they stepped up, but under the parameter that our county and our city would help match that additional piece,” Ohnstad said.

County Commissioner Jim Lucachick says they will keep the Boys and Girls Club on their radar.