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The Boys & Girls Club - Changing Lives One Child at a Time
June, 2005 - Issue #8
Imagine a place where kids can go to have fun and be themselves while their parents are at work. A place that makes education its number one priority and molds children into mature, responsible adults. Pair this with a devoted staff of role models and you've got The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita.

Formed in 1968, The Boys & Girls Club now has two full-service facilities, one small satellite clubhouse and a membership of over 3,000 in the SCV. Pretty impressive for a program that started offering its services in small, borrowed locations and school playgrounds! Located in Newhall and Canyon Country, both main Club locations have a full gym, recreational area, learning center and teen lounge, which gives children ages 7 to 17 a wide range of activities to choose from. There is also a small site in Val Verde.

Although The Boys & Girls Club is dedicated to education, Judy Belue, executive director of the foundation, stresses that their primary focus has been, and always will be, fun. "Children come in and do whatever they want - lounge, homework - they have choices, it's not so structured, they get to choose what to do, this makes kids want to be here," she said.

The Club focuses on five core areas of instruction. The first is Education and Career Development, which motivates the kids to enhance their education and instills a lifelong desire for learning.The children can take advantage of on-site tutors to help them if needed; they also have access to a number of computers to sharpen their technology skills. The Arts Program allows members to explore painting, clay, drawing, photography, even woodwork. The Newhall site, in partnership with Cal Arts, also has a digital arts program where members can learn graphic arts, music and movie making and much more. Character and Leadership Development allows youngsters, ages 14 to 17, a chance to develop leadership skills and participate in community events, all while promoting personal growth through the design of specific projects. Then there's Sports, Recreation and Fitness with activities ranging from basketball to dodge ball. The two main sites are equipped with their own gyms, which allows many sports leagues to be formed, all of which thrive on the emphasis of teamwork, fair play and effort. Lastly there's Health and Life Skills, a program that stresses the importance of dietary choices, how to react to peer pressure and drug avoidance. Cooking classes are offered twice a week to prepare the children for a healthy, productive adult life.

"We have a bunch of little clubs under one roof," says Chief Professional Officer Jim Ventress, who has been with the Club in Newhall for over 20 years, "There's always so much going on!" He couldn't be more right - as he gave me a tour of his site (which is under major reconstruction) I noticed dozens of different activities. And despite the work being done - painting, the moving of furniture, entire rooms being off limits - the Club continued to function like normal. The kids didn't seem to notice that only half of their main recreation room was in use, the other being used for storage; they continued with their activities oblivious to the clutter around them. "We have to stay open despite the reconstruction, the pleas from our kids and their parents are too strong, so many people depend on us," explains Ventress. So, despite the work being done, with the devoted staff always on hand to ensure everyone's safety, the Club continues to function like normal, and the kids couldn't be happier.

The same could be said for their parents, who can feel safe leaving their children in an environment where equality and respect are fully enforced. The Club has members of all income levels, all races and ethnicities, single and double parent families, all religions - once you walk through the doors you become simply a Boys & Girls Club member, nothing else. Belue emphasizes this by stating, "[The Club] is such a great place for kids, we provide an atmosphere where everyone is treated equally, and that means a lot." And for the very affordable price of $24 a year, children have the opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful things the Club has to offer without burning a hole in their parent's pockets.

The Boys & Girls Club has always been known as "The Positive Place for Kids;" they provide their members with a second home, a place they want to come back to day after day. Eleven-year-old Brian Robles has been attending the Club for the past three years and gushes about the nice staff members and the helpful tutors who assist him with his homework; "I tell all of my friends to come here because it is a great place," he explains with a big smile. Bethany Bardwell, a 15-year-old Hart high freshman, has also been attending the Club for three years, "All of my friends are here, that's how I got to know people," she said. One of her favorite activities is dodge ball, but she also appreciates the help she gets with her homework. "I already have one friend coming here because of me and she's already telling her friends," said Bethany, "this place is pretty cool." Everyone's reason for attending the Club is different: for one child it may be the friends they have made, others might like having access to the endless supplies and activities provided. But Ventress' explanation is simply that they "make the kids feel like they are part of something special" and they do this through attention, affection and recognition.

In addition to all the constructive activities offered by the organization, the staff also provide their members with additional activities like field trips to the beach, movies and amusement parks, weekend dances and tours of businesses and colleges. The Club is open Monday through Friday after school until 7 p.m., with extended hours during the summer and holiday breaks.

Still not sold on how remarkable and supportive this organization is? Ventress says it best when he states, "When a child goes home to an empty house after school, they get a sense of reality from a computer or a TV, but here everything is real - the staff, the kids, the activities, they get a taste of real life." Belue adds, "[The Boys & Girls Club] is a place that changes lives, it's that big for these kids, some kids that come here haven't found themselves yet, when they come here they find that spark or that role model that just turns them around and changes their lives." All it took was a short visit to one of their sites and some interaction with both the kids and staff members to realize that they are both absolutely right.
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