Team Perseverance Athletics began as a way to get kids off the streets by playing basketball. Now, the nonprofit is offering an after school program.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Children living in Sumter’s south side will soon have access to free after school care thanks to a local nonprofit.
“It’s been an exciting overwhelming feeling if you will,” Junko Allen smiled. “Like I feel so giddy right now.”
“It’s just evolved slowly but we’re here today to this big explosion of a vision that I’ve had for many many years,” Allen remembers. “I just wanted to get at-risk youth off the streets playing basketball. And then as I’ve gotten older and grown older and retired from the air force, I had more time to think about what else can I do for the community, right?”
Now, that means securing a permanent physical location in Sumter’s south side for youth to play …