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Auburn, Maine – U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited the Auburn Police Action Federation (PAL) Center to take a tour of the facility and discuss the $3 million grant she secured to build a new, larger facility. Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque, Police Chief and PAL President Jason Moen, and other local officials joined Senator Collins at the center.
As the leader of the Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins secured this funding in the Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2023, which was signed into law last week. Senator Collins is the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Thanks to the vision of the Auburn Police Department and city leaders, the Auburn Police Action League (PAL) Center will continue to grow and improve by providing children with a safe, structured environment to play and learn after school. We’ve built a brighter future.We receive food, clothing and school supplies.We build relationships with law enforcement officers who protect our communities.” Senator Collins said. “This $3 million grant will allow the Auburn PAL Center to build a larger facility that will provide enhanced services to the community. I enjoyed talking with the coaches.”
“This visit demonstrates Senator Collins’ dedication to improving the lives of minors through influential collaboration between federal and local governments.” Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque said: “What better way to understand that this project is an essential part of ending intergenerational poverty across this vast region than to come here and talk to resident staff and young people?” is not.”
“We thank Senator Collins for recognizing the positive impact our PAL program has on the children we serve.” Auburn Police Chief Jason Moen said. “This funding is vital to the continued success of the PAL program for years to come.”
“Auburn is deeply grateful to Senator Collins for seeing this opportunity to transform the lives of young people by creating a safe and caring space at the new PAL Center.” Auburn City Manager Phil Crowell said: “This new facility will impact the lives of hundreds of families every day. Many of the parents of PAL children are Auburn employees and need a safe place for their children to spend time after school. The PAL Center has been doing that for over nine years and will be able to serve many more children in the years to come.”
The PAL Center provides children with educational programs (oral care, music lessons, arts and crafts, etc.) and sports activities after school and during the summer, as well as active interaction with the police. Additionally, student volunteers from the Central Maine Community College Law Enforcement Program are involved in mentoring children at the center. In addition, PAL The center offers complimentary breakfast and lunch (in partnership with the Auburn School District) each morning during the summer. There is also a community garden planted and nurtured by the children of the PAL Center and the Master Gardener of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. This year alone, the PAL Center worked with local groups to provide Thanksgiving meals for 95 people and Christmas presents and stockings for over 200 children.
A $3 million grant will be used to support construction of the new Auburn PAL Community Center at 24 Chestnut Street. The center serves as a hub for guided/supervised after-school and summer activities. Our current building far exceeds our total capacity to deliver programming. The larger building will support early childhood education and childcare programs, a health center, teen center, gym, commercial kitchen and food pantry.
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