The Columbus Boys and Girls Club is more than a place for children to hang out and play games after school or during the summer. It’s an opportunity for many to experience new things and thrive in ways they hadn’t before.
Consider that its stated goal is that “every eligible child in Bartholomew County graduates on time with a healthy lifestyle, a commitment to our community and a plan for the future.”
That’s an important mission. And it’s one the club has done a good job pursuing.
Caleb Cureton, the 2016 Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, is a perfect example of what the club can do for children. In the two years that Cureton, 14, has participated in the club, he’s:
•Made new friends
•Participated in a multitude of activities
•Gained confidence
•Earned the trust and respect of his peers and club staff members
•Raised his grades
•Discovered an interest in science
•Learned the value of volunteering
That’s a lot of growing for a young person in a short amount of time.
Foundation for Youth, the umbrella organization for the Boys and Girls Club, has successfully run various organizations — such as Columbus Youth Camp and Big Brothers Big Sisters — that have made a difference in the community.
The programs offered by the Boys and Girls Club and the others under FFY are valuable and worth supporting because of the positive ways they shape children’s lives.
