11-11-23 Seg 3 Boys and Girls Club non profit

The Durango Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an After Hours event at Harley-Davidson on Thursday the 16th. The Boys and Girls Club is open during Thanksgiving break and will have activities for the kids during Christmas break as well. They serve over 1,500 kids a year and focus on positive youth development. They also provide resources for homework help and have connections with other organizations in the community. Safety and security of the kids is a top priority for the club and they are prepared to handle any incidents. It is important for parents to do their due diligence when choosing programs for their kids. Welcome back to Durango Digs on AM 1240, KDGO at 98.3 FM, Jack Llewellyn from the Chamber of Commerce, durangobusiness.org for our information, and don't forget, mark your calendars. Coming up on next Thursday the 16th, we have After Hours over at Harley-Davidson. I'll be there. That'll be fun. It will be a good one. Get your motor running. I'm going to be wild. Yeah, and then we actually keep TBK Bank in December, so that'll be another good one. So number end of 2024. Yeah, that's fine. Holidays are coming up. Bob Morris with the Boys and Girls Club. We've been talking about, you know, the mentoring and, you know, the different things that you provide, but I'm curious. Are you open, like, during holidays when people come and say, hey, I want to drop my kid? You know, we had always been open. We were kind of like the, you know, 24-7, you know, anytime fitness model. And what we've seen over the course of many years is that there are real peaks and valleys in services, especially in the community we live in. So, you know, we hadn't been open during Thanksgiving or Christmas break for the past few years. You know, again, a variety of factors. Understand parents need the service, but also staff need the break. You know, I mean, it's a reality of the situation. You know, and with programs being in schools, they're closed, so we stay closed. So we are going to be back open, you know, for Thanksgiving break on Monday and Tuesday. Okay. And then in the very near future, we'll know, because, again, convincing staff to work during Christmas break. Sure, they need time off, too. Of course. Yeah. But, again, and so it may not be the traditional 730 to 530, you know, every day, but we'll definitely be looking at some activities, you know, field trips, some special event stuff to keep the kids engaged. Yeah. And how many, I'm curious, how many kids, and that includes all of them, you know, K-12, how many kids do you serve, so to speak, are involved in the club every year? Yeah, so we're well over 1,500 a year now and trending really quickly towards that 2,000. So the way that we define it is, you know, a member is a kid who, you know, is in the system. So we use, you know, a membership, you know, track information, all that kind of stuff, so registered number. We also have other youth served, right, so kids that we serve through community outreach, different events, recesses, lunch duty, special events, those kinds of things. So, yeah, so we're well over 1,500. You know, we see anywhere from 250 to 350 kids a day, which is a lot, you know. So nobody's seeing more kids per day other than schools, you know, than the Boys and Girls Club, which, again, gives us that great opportunity to help them. You know, when you say that, too, I'm sitting there going, so I remember, you know, when I was coaching, it would take me about a third of the way into the season to finally get all their names right. Sure. You know, luckily, they're my kids' friends, so I knew a lot of them. And to this day, it's funny because I'll see one of them. I've got a beard or whatever, you know, and I'm looking going, hi, Jack, how are you? I'm like, I have no idea who you are, or I'll see a parent, and they're like, hello, Jack, how are you doing? And I'm looking going, who is your kid? Right. And then I'd have to connect it in my brain. Sure. But, you know, I mean, try to follow. Yeah, for sure. You know, when we talk about kind of the changes from my youth development experience back in the club way back when to now, you know, we focus on five key elements of positive youth development, right? So it's safe emotionally and physically. It's fun. And from an administrative's point of view, I always go safe first. But fun is really first. Yeah. You know, supportive, recognition, and then, you know, opportunities and expectations. So really that key part of supportive relationship is knowing kids. So we've got a lot of tricks in the bag, you know, to ensure that we know who the kids are. To your point, I can think of some of the basketball teams like Kangaroo Kaitlin, you know, those name games, right? Yes. You know, because it's important. Every kid wants to be recognized. And so when they come into the club, you know, they're going to be greeted by a name, and then a lot of times we're going to do a little check-in, right? How are you today? Thumbs up, thumbs down, thumbs middle. We use a lot of emojis. We have the old emoji schedule out there. Which one are you? You know, because, again, kids are carrying, like us, all of us, are carrying everything that happens in our lives with us every day. You know, and so how do you reconcile those things? And our key tenet is when you get here, it's going to be fun, and you're going to be you. And put some of that stuff. It's still going to be there. Right. But it's not an extension of the school day. You know, we focus on education and academic support and those kinds of things, but it's not an extension of the school day. You're a kid once. Yeah. And you should have the opportunity to be a kid. Yeah. Well, you know, and I know that, oh, it's Raising Boys by Dobson, you know, and he talks about that, that when you're wanting to get boys to talk, play basketball, do something physical. Sure. Because that just naturally brings out the conversation because, you know, you'll laugh and you'll make fun of each other and stuff like that. And I was reading that one time years ago. I did that with my son and my step-sons, you know. Sure. And we did. It was fun. Or ping-pong. You know, we had a ping-pong table. Let's play some ping-pong. Sure. You get that physical activity. So I imagine that is a really good plus. But what I also, if a kid says, hey, I need help with my homework, I'm sure those resources, somebody at the Boys and Girls Club is there. For sure. Unless it's math, if I was there. Physics is my downfall. I just know I can't explain it. Yeah. It just works. I know. What's that subject? Physics. Physics. Oh. Angle of incidence equals the angle of refraction. Equals F for Vaughn on the pork carton. And the acceleration rate of gravity is 9.8 meters per second squared. That's the only two things I remember. Move it up, folks. I don't think he's right. From anything in physics. No. We will Google during the break. Smart Alec. And that is like the only thing I remember. Sure. That's the only thing I remember. But I also found out I'm dyslexic. Right. And flip numbers. Sure. But those are the things that having a mentor to help you get through that. So long, long back and forth conversation here. But are there folks there that can help with some of those things? Sure. And that comes back to the community connections, right? So for us, we're more of the jack of all trades, right? Uh-huh. You know, so we're going to be there. Lots of different things. But then how do we connect kids and families to the services they need? Right. And luckily in this community, there's a lot of them. Yeah. Like we've already talked about relationships with the school district, right? And then relationships with other non-profits, you know, the family center and the county and the city. Sure. And just, you know, trying to get – and some of those, you know, the needs of, you know, housing, shelter, food, that kind of stuff. Right. But, yeah, trying to help kids ensure, you know, they get what they need. And it was interesting. You mentioned just a second ago about that idea of finding your niche. The school district just did a really powerful training on Monday, you know, with the folks from Sandy Hook and Platt Canyon, you know, and it was super interesting in how those kids dealt with that trauma, continued to deal with that trauma, and found that niche, you know, that helped them, again, be – just be human. Right. Because I can't even fathom it, you know, and hearing the stories. Yeah. But, you know, shout out to all the school districts, and particularly NINR, around how much they take safety, security of kids. You know, and it's hard because, you know, we want to – I think the guy from the I Love You Foundation said it best with, you know, you want kids to feel safe, but you don't want them to be in a cage. Right. And I think finding that balance, and I think NINR has done a really good job. You know, there's a lot of challenges for everyone, including them, you know, around, you know, how do we bus, and how do we, you know, change kids, and all that stuff. But I just want people to give everybody grace in the fact that we're all here to keep kids safe. Yes. Because if we don't, then incidents like we discussed earlier happen, and that's not where you want to be. No, no. And I think that those are, as you mentioned, taking the seriousness, and I'm going to say the role playing and things to, you know, God forbid we ever have something like, you know, an incident occur, but being prepared and being ready, you know, and having those conversations, what to do. Sure. And talking with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club, you know, and just, you know, I'm going to say the stranger of danger. Right. Or, you know, if you're approached by someone, what do you do? Or a kid feeling safe and being able to come in to the boys and say, hey, I had this person do X, Y, Z, or ask me this or offer me this, and you're going, oh, well, you know, and then having those conversations with the individual. So then you are, and you guys are trained. For sure. How to handle that and what to do and who to get involved. Right. And not just go, oh, just blow it off, you know, you know what to do. Reporting and all those things come into play, you know, and it's the reality of the world we live in, you know, and keeping kids safe. And I encourage everybody, no matter where your kids are, no matter what they participate in, do your due diligence, you know. Are they background, you know, checking? Do they provide training to staff and volunteers? And if not, then, you know, take that into consideration as you make your choices where you're going to put your kids. But your kids are safe in the Niner School District. I could tell you that right now. And none of us are 100% safe. Life's inherently dangerous. Childhood's inherently dangerous. It's just what it is. But their commitment should be applauded. Yeah, I'll just leave it at that. Yeah. You know, my dad, I think I've told you this. My dad was a principal for, you know, up in Westminster for, you know, School District 50. And he worked in the school district 33 years. And just some of the stories that he talks about, you know, and some of the things that he dealt with. But I look at it and I remember him saying, always know your son or daughter's friends' parents. Because if they are partiers or they're something you just don't like about them, sometimes it rubs off. Maybe not. But sometimes, you know, if they're doing whatever activities, you may want to just keep an eye on that. So, you know, the other advice he gave me, if you ever get in an argument with your significant other, take a bath. A woman cannot yell at an inking man in the bathtub. Oh, man. And I've told counselors that, and they go, I have got to use that. Sure. Sure. I'll put that up my sleeve because I probably haven't taken a bath. I guess maybe I don't get in trouble with my significant other. You don't get in trouble. I know that's not true. But where am I going with that? How am I going to get out of this one? Well, now I just see you naked in a tub. Words of wisdom from, you know, my late father. And he would now be sitting there just laughing at me. He had a wicked dry sense of humor. But, no, there's things that, again, looking back, you mentioned it earlier, we didn't listen to our parents. Right. You know, my dad would also say, always control the keys to your kids' cars. Sure. And one time I got really upset and I was going to go for a drive. I couldn't find my keys. Next morning I found them on top of the fridge behind the Kleenex box. Sure. And I was like, I looked up there. And a couple years later my dad says, remember when you couldn't find your keys? I'm like, oh, honey, I told you, always control the keys. Sure. So there's things that I look back on and having that mentor, you know, and the lessons I learned, you know, beyond the kind of joking with you. But those are huge. And what the Boys and Girls Club can offer are those little key nuggets and words of wisdom. Well, and you have to find that support system, right? Yeah. You have to have people that you trust you can believe in and can believe in you too. Because I am even, you know, working in detention for those years and those things, second chances and third chances are important, right? Because if one decision ruins your life, and that's not the catastrophic one, there are those. But some of the things, you know, and the challenges we face in a modern society about where is that breaking point, right? You know, I mean, we don't want to, you know, suspend kids for certain things because if they're not in school, they're not in sports, where are they? Right. But at the same time, there's accountability and responsibility. So finding that balance is getting harder and harder because we're litigious, right? You know, people want to sue and those kinds of things. Sure. But the concept of supportive, safe, and fun resonates with everyone. Right. You know, and that's what we'll continue to do. I mean, those are our primary tenets. And we just want to grow it into, you know, more and more communities from a global scale with Boys and Girls Clubs. I mean, we serve 5 million kids. Right. The goal is going to be 10 million. Wow. Right. So having that, you know, ability to provide that service. And how many staff do you have? Yeah, so that's a great question. You know, so we're seasonal in the sense that after school is a little bit smaller. But, you know, we're around 30, and then in the summer we'll be up to 50 or 60. Wow, okay. And then with that, obviously, training that they all go through. Sure. All the background checks we mentioned earlier and everything. Now, I'm curious. This is going to be you've only got, like, a couple minutes to answer this. Okay. So how do you get your funding? Sure. How do you get your funding? So as a nonprofit, right, I mean, we appreciate all of the community support. Yes. Right? So, I mean, every year our budget is about 1.25 million, and we raise that every year. Yeah. You know, and a lot of that is local support, grassroots support. We do have some funding, you know, for some grants and those kinds of things, a little bit of program fees. But it really comes back to people in our community believing in what we do, believing that kids are our future, and then supporting that. And there's so many different ways to do that. You know, I mean, the website, bgclaplata.org, you can always go on there. We encourage monthly gifts. I know you're part of our Club Blue program. We give on a monthly basis. So just, you know, look at what you feel the budget could bear. You know, I mean, for $30 a month or $60 a month or $90 a month, providing snacks, providing an arts and crafts program. You could sponsor a kid. You know, so there's a lot of opportunities, you know, to do that. And then the business community has been very supportive. I mean, Durango is a very giving community, as is La Plata County. Clearly there's a lot of competition because there's a lot of us. And I really encourage people, if it's not kids, find your passion in the community, support it financially, support it with your time, time, talent, and treasure, right? You never get your time back. And, you know, we do. To your question about employees, you know, we have professionals, youth development professionals. We do use volunteers to augment and enhance. But the key is we have to have ongoing people that are trained, and it's not as easy as it used to be. No. And that's good and bad. Yep. Well, we're going to take a break, so maybe that's good. I was trying to hurry. I didn't know how long two minutes was. No, you did good. We'll be back in a few minutes. You're listening to AM 1240, KDGO and 98.3 FM. Stay tuned.