Boys and Girls Club looking to open chapter in Weiser

The Boys and Girls Club of America wants to expand into Weiser.

 Community leaders and members of the public were invited to attend an informational session held Friday, Sept. 23 at the Vendome to find out more about the organization and spark a conversation about whether a club in Weiser would be a fit for the community.

 Part of the session’s purpose was to discuss the possible formation of a committee that would be responsible for conducting the necessary legwork.

 Attendees included Weiser School District Superintendent Wade Wilson, Annex School Superintendent Steve Bishop, Weiser Police Chief Carl Smith, Weiser Police School Resource Officer Cody Samson, Washington County Sheriff Matt Thomas and Chief Deputy Brady Johnston, Weiser Fire District Chief Tim Atwood, Steve Fenske and Brenda Lee of Arrow-Heart Adventure Camps, Snake River Heritage Center board member Scott Manser, and many others.

 “We focus on after school and summer,” said Dana Castellani, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley.

She oversees clubs in Ontario, founded in 2009, and Payette, which opened in 2018. Serene Hooper, a Weiser High School graduate, is the director of the Ontario club, which serves about 135 kids daily. Racheal Lopez, also a W.H.S. graduate, directs the Payette club, with about 90 kids served on any given day.

 The clubs are intended to work “with the youth of our community to ensure they graduate high school with a plan for college or a career, contribute to their community, and have a healthy life.” 

 At ground level, clubs, sometimes referred to as chapters, offer kids a place to go after school where they can take part in various activities. The clubs also offer members a number of programs during the summer months. After school and summer programs include sports and recreation, education, arts, health and wellness, workforce readiness, character and leadership, and digital learning platforms. 

 Boys and Girls Clubs of America also offers USDA meal programs. Castellani said every community can choose the programs that fit its needs.

 “Clubs have shifted it into this phrase, ‘out of school’ time,” Castellani explained. “We fill the gap as much as we can.”

 Founded in 1860 in Hartford, Conn., the national nonprofit is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with regional offices in Chicago, Dallas, New York City, and Los Angeles.

Its mission is to, “enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” according to its website at www.bgca.org.

 On its website, the organization also expresses its commitment to inclusion, stating that, “We believe every kid has what it takes. The mission and core beliefs of Boys and Girls Clubs fuel our commitment to promoting safe, positive, and inclusive environments for all. Boys and Girls Clubs of America supports all youth and teens – of every race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, and religion – in reaching their full potential.”

 More on the Ontario and Payette clubs can be found at www.bgcwtv.org.

 Those area clubs are currently serving grades 1-12. Although they do service some middle and high school students, the clubs serve primarily kids in first through sixth grades.

  A Weiser club could potentially provide a place for kids to go on Fridays, which students now have free following the adoption by the Weiser School District of a four-day school week.

Opening a club is usually a two- to three-year process, according to Castellani.

 “It usually doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “It does take a group like this, really caring and wanting it, working with the national organization and all the things that go into it. In Payette, they saw what they were doing in Ontario, and that committee felt like it was something they wanted for their community, so they did all of the hard work, with all the different partners, fundraising, and getting a facility. In Payette, that club really stands out in the state. For a community that small to have a thriving club is impressive. I think what Payette shows, is that it can be done.”

 A building that is currently part of the historical complex, that also houses the Snake River Heritage Center, near Weiser High School was suggested as a possible future home for the club.

 Castellani said it took about $300,000 to get the Payette club up and running. 

 According to a graph presented during the session, 1.5 percent of the funds to run the clubs come from youth membership dues. Dues are $20 per child per school year, and $50 per child for the summer, which includes meals and field trips.

Over 68 percent comes from unspecified grants and 20 percent from local donors according to the graph.

Individual clubs can also hold fundraisers.

 For more information, email Dana Castellani at castellani@bgcwtv.org.