The Helen Bader Foundation has announced grants totaling more than $1.1 million to twenty-four organizations serving underprivileged children and teens in Milwaukee.

The grants will be used to create safe spaces where youth and their families have access to constructive programming and assistance with basic needs such as food and clothing. According to recent data from the Opportunity Nation Coalition, nearly 20 percent of families in Milwaukee are below the poverty line, almost 6.8 percent higher than the average for the rest of the state. In addition, 15.1 percent of youth between the ages of 16 and 24 are not in school or working, which is 3.5 percent higher than the state average.

The awards include a two-year, $340,000 grant to United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee in support of arts education programming; a two-year, $124,000 award to New Threads of Hope, which links manufacturers and retailers and their surplus products, samples, and returns to social service agencies, schools, and faith-based communities; and $100,000 to Risen Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church, which supports afterschool programming for low-income youth in northwest Milwaukee.

"It does not come as a surprise that children are most vulnerable to negative influences during out-of-school times," said Bader Foundation vice president of programs and partnerships Maria Lopez Vento. "Working with our partners in the community, we strive to provide options during that time in an effort to empower the next generation."