News 12 at 6 o'clock / Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A mother is worried about the safety of her daughter after the Boys and Girls Club stopped offering transportation in her neighborhood.

"There is too much that goes on world to let an 8-year-old to walk from her school to Boys and Girls Club by herself," said Belinda Jackson.

Last year, the Boys and Girls Club bus picked Jackson's daughter up from Collins Elementary. However, this year, Jackson's daughter must walk to blocks to the Boys and Girls Club if she wants to continue to go after school.

"We are very limited in our resources in transportation in transporting kids," said Gary Winferry with the Boys and Girls Club.

Close to 500 children attend the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta everyday. The organization provides transportation to 150 of them.

Recent budget cuts combined with a rise in memberships means they simply can't pick up every child, especially those that live within walking distance.

"We decided those kids that go to Collins from Cherry Tree Crossing, they're walking to school in the morning, they got to walk to the neighborhood in the afternoon, so we did not pick up those five students anymore," Winferry said.

The Boys and Girls Club only has three vans and one bus to serve the entire CSRA.

Jackson doesn't let her daughter walk school, mainly because they do live in Cherry Tree Crossing. She says the one positive thing in her neighborhood is the Boys and Girls Club.

"I love it. I love it because it does a lot for our kids," Jackson said.

Winferrry later told Jackson that he would arrange transportation for her daughter.

If you would like to make a donation or volunteer to help with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta, just call (706) 504-4071.

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