Sen. Marvin Blyden was in a celebratory mood this week after the enactment of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget bills, as he cited major victories in securing funding for non-profit organizations that address critically important issues including homelessness, behavioral health,
assisting victims of violent crime and their families, and youth sports.
“I am pleased to announce that with the support of my colleagues, I was able to secure funding in the Executive Budget, Act No. 8579 to address some of our most pressing but most neglected community needs, especially as it regards homelessness,” the Housing Committee chairman said. “For the first time, we have secured funding to staff the Continuum of Care, which coordinates multi-agency and non-profit efforts concerning homelessness.
The appropriation of $185,000 will allow Continuum Care to properly operate the Coordinated Entry System, which in turn is the key to obtaining millions of additional federal dollars to reduce homelessness,” Blyden said. Also in this area, Blyden was able to secure $100,000 for Hearts in Service, a faith-based organization, to assist in the development and operation of a transitional housing facility on St. Thomas.
Additionally, Blyden was able to secure $50,000 for Bethlehem House, which will be used to purchase a truck to transport the mobile shower and bath facility recently acquired by Bethlehem House; and he secured $15,000 to fund refurbishment of computers and computer literacy training for economically challenged youth.
Lastly, the senator was able, in a separate measure (Act No. 8770), to secure funding for another matter that is near and dear to his heart — youth sports and development. “With the support of my colleagues,” said Blyden, “I was able to secure over a quarter million dollars for the Virgin Islands Little League to further the development of young baseball and softball players, to fund participation in tournaments and clinics in the Caribbean region and also on the U.S. mainland, and to host the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Congress, which is a major sports tourism event for the territory.”
“Ever since 1957 when Valmy Thomas became the first Virgin Islander to play in the major leagues,” said Blyden, “the Virgin Islands has had at least one player in big league baseball. In order for this to continue, however, we must give our youths the opportunity to train and compete at a high level alongside their counterparts in the region and in the nation.
In every area of life, Virgin Islanders have the talent to compete with anyone, anywhere. We just need the opportunity to prepare and compete, and sometimes we need our community’s support. With these timely and important initiatives, we hope to provide just those things for our young people and for the most vulnerable in our community.”
Blyden thanked his colleagues and the governor for their support of his initiatives, saying, “It is important to recognize that I could not accomplish any of these things by myself. I want to thank my colleagues, particularly Finance Committee Chairwoman Donna Frett-Gregory, for understanding the importance of these projects and giving their enthusiastic support. I also want to thank the governor for his approval and to thank him in advance for ensuring that these funds get to the community organizations and programs expeditiously so that their benefits can be felt on the ground by the people who we serve.”
