LOYAL program closure leaves void for Washington youth
Loss of funding cited as reason
Advocates have sounded the alarm that the Oct. 1 closure of the LOYAL afterschool program will leave the city of Washington without an important resource for at-risk children.
The multifaceted afterschool program is on hiatus following the revocation of a $125,000 Pennsylvania Opioid Settlement Trust grant earlier this year that left organizers without a critical source of funding, according to founder Avery L. Turner Sr.
Turner, or “Uncle L,” as some of the kids call him, envisioned the program shortly after the pandemic following over a decade spent working and volunteering for a number of nonprofit programs across Washington County that focused on youth services.
He applied for a $150,000 grant from the statewide settlement trust in 2024, and was awarded $125,000 in early 2025 to create and sustain the program.
This funding was withdrawn in early 2026 after an audit of awardees by the trust deemed LOYAL’s use “non-compliant” with program guidelines, according to Washington County Director of Public Relations Nicole Ford.
Washington County has opted to appeal this decision before the state Commonwealth Court, which has not yet set a hearing date for the matter, according to Ford.
Turner said that while other local nonprofits may provide high-quality programming, LOYAL, or leading our youth to an abundant life, was uniquely beneficial due to its all-encompassing approach.
The program was open seven days a week, from early in the morning till late in the evening, offering mentorship, free meals, drug and alcohol counseling, content creation support, and fitness classes out of its rented facility at 31 E. Chestnut St.
“I’d get calls from kids at 2, 3 a.m. and I’d talk to them and tell them that it’s going to be OK,” Turner said.
More than 180 children ages 5 to 18 regularly attended the program, a majority of whom came from nutritionally insecure homes and/or at-risk situations, according to Turner.
“Many of them get their only meal a day from LOYAL,” he said.
The program became a “lifeline” for these kids, and a source of steadfast support, he said.
According to Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess, the program was an important resource for city families.
“It helped a lot of at-risk kids get off the street and helped them out,” Burgess said. “It’s a shame what happened to the funding.”
The program also focused on boxing and wrestling coaching for attendees, with teams from LOYAL attending between eight to 10 regional boxing competitions in the past year.
Turner and his co-director, the Rev. Edwin Davis, had to pay for the program out-of-pocket for more than six months after the funding revocation, which became financially untenable heading into the fall.
The facility closed its doors on Oct. 1, after the program was unable to pay rent for the remainder of the year.
“It was heartbreaking, seeing the tears in (the children’s) eyes when I told them,” Turner said.
Turner said he is eagerly awaiting the appeal hearing date before the Commonwealth Court, and will seek other sources of private and public funding to reopen the program.
According to Washington School District Superintendent Alisa King, the LOYAL program is a “tremendous opportunity for youth to foster and develop positive character traits for themselves.”
King said that the school district has worked in collaboration with Turner’s team to provide the best support the school and community can provide for these children.
“There has been more than one occasion when LOYAL and the Washington School District have come together to ensure that the best laid plans are being delivered upon,” she said, “in a short time, the program has had a significant impact for a large number of students and I worry for the youth who were going there everyday after school if this program no longer exists in the community.”