Boys & Girls Clubs Expand in Vancouver

July 30, 2009 - PRLog -- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington is thrilled to announce the expansion and naming of the O.K. Clubhouse located in the Jim Parsley Community Center. The groundbreaking ceremony, held on July 23, 2009, marked the beginning of construction and celebrated a community of supporters that have shared the vision of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

The ceremony, emceed by two Club members, brought kind words from supportive individuals. Speakers included, the Superintendent of Vancouver Public Schools and a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs Board of Directors, Dr. Steve Webb, Executive Director, Elise Menashe, Board President, Ron Prill, Club Members, Chris and Emma, Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, and Governor Chris Gregoire.

The expansion addresses the unmet need for after-school and summer programming in the Bagley Downs area of Central Vancouver, WA.  The expanded Clubhouse will have two stories: the elementary age youth space on the main floor and the teen center on the upper floor. The O.K. Clubhouse will allow annual membership and daily attendance to more than double, a teen program to be established, and youth to experience more creative and diverse programming.

The cost to expand and remodel the Club into an amazing 26,000 square feet is approximately $4.6 million. With support from community individuals, foundations, businesses, Vancouver Public Schools, and local, state and federal government we have raised the capital portion of our $6 million dollar Development Campaign. Therefore, we are beginning construction, with March 2010 as our completion goal.

The demographics surrounding the O.K. Clubhouse show a critical need for supervision after-school yet, no other everyday low-cost youth program exists in the area. Within one mile of the facility over 4,000 youth reside; 73% of households occupy rental units; 36% of children are in poverty; and 15% of the households with children are run by a single parent (Claritas Census Data). Furthermore, the O.K. Clubhouse is located next door to Roosevelt Elementary School with over 550 students; within two miles of the site are four other schools including a middle and high school. Approximately 78% of youth attending the five nearby schools qualify for free or reduced lunch. These are the children and the families that can benefit most from Boys & Girls Club services.

Although 12,000 square feet of space was made available for BGCSW within the Jim Parsley Community Center, the total square footage is limited and does not sufficiently serve the demand for after-school and summer services.  The main level will house a large education area (three adjoining rooms), a small library, a large social recreation area (game room), an art studio, an instructional kitchen/cafe area, a large commons space, a family meeting room, restrooms, and staff work space. The upper level will house the teen center and will include a large commons area, with game room equipment and movie/television seating, a cafe/instructional kitchen, a study lounge, a multimedia studio, two leadership meeting rooms, restrooms, and a staff office. The gymnasium, rock wall and pool are on the main level and contiguous with the O.K. Clubhouse space. BGCSW is given priority use of the spaces during the after-school and summer hours of operation.

Find out more at: www.MYBGC.org

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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington: We provide a positive environment, quality programs and lifelong learning skills for all school-aged youth (1st -12th grades) in Clark County with special concern for those coming from disadvantaged economic, social, and family circumstances.