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another in good times and bad. It’s really quite moving what happens at Club day-in and day-out. We’re very lucky to be a part of it.” Approximately 7,000 school-aged kids in Rochester live in financially unstable homes. As Campbell explains, each one of them could use a safe, affordable place to be after school and in the summer. “And we don’t have the capacity to serve all 7,000 kids, so our goal and our vision is to grow. We want to meet kids where they are and grow our ability to serve more and more kids and make a bigger impact on our community,” Campbell says. “We offer a safe
in dungeons and dragons, there are safe and fun programs for all youth at the Club.” Growth Potential Originally the Club operated out of an old bank building near Cub Foods for a few years, eventually moving into the old Holmes School building. “After some years in that space, we moved to the Gage East site while renovations and additions were built at Holmes School, giving life to what is now known as The Place. It’s a wonderful spot to do our work, and we have great partners in the building,” Campbell says.
During its long- standing history, the Club’s attendance has grown significantly and they’ve served thousands of youth in the Rochester area over the past two decades. “Our Club has had an the lives of so many kids in our community. I can say that incredible impact on
and nurturing place for kids of all ages to encounter people and experience things that they wouldn’t have encountered or experienced otherwise. We offer lots of program options within that basic framework – dance, theatre, painting, and other art classes; chess, and card game,
Dance program performing outside the Mayo Civic Center.
and leadership groups; STEM education, homework support, reading, and tutoring opportunities. The offerings change frequently, and the options are unlimited!” Samuel Hawkins II, director of programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester says that “all youth that participate in programming begin to grasp social emotional tools to better identify big emotions and the tools to cope in a positive way. “The biggest benefit for our members is the inclusive nature of the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester,” Hawkins says. “Kids are able to attend the club and be their truest self. Whether it’s learning how to balance a budget in Money Matters, how to make a bounce pass in basketball, or how to create a character
humbly because I’ve only been there for a few years, and so much of what’s been accomplished was long before my time,” Campbell says. “We hear stories every day about kids whose lives have been changed forever – helping them to unlock the potential they already had within, and overcome the barriers that hold them back.” Boys & Girls Club of Rochester has a long and growing tradition of partnering with the business community. It’s important to the Club to involve local business leaders in the organization for several reasons, but most importantly because they know how important it is for businesses to support the youth of their local community.
December 2022
| Advantage Magazine 6
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