LODI — The Lodi Boys and Girls Club has been providing a safe and fun place for children to go after school since 1963. Today it serves more than 500 young people through an assortment of programs.
“Everyone here has a passion for this work — helping kids, doing right by them, their parents, the community and the club,” said Edwin Cotton, the club’s executive director and himself a former Boys and Girls Club member.
The national Boys and Girls Club dates back to 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1906 several Boys Clubs decided to affiliate, and by 1931 the group became the Boys Clubs of America. To acknowledge that girls are part of the organization’s cause, the name was changed to Boys and Girls Clubs of America in 1990.
Its mission statement is, “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
Nationally, the organization serves nearly four million young people in more than 4,000 club facilities.
Cotton said between 80 and 90 children go to the Lodi club every weekday during the school year.
“We have between 120 and 130 kids in the summer, and now we have kids from Stockton and Galt as we’re centrally located,” said Cotton. “Our club is open to anyone, everyone needs guidance, and if both parents work we can help their kids grow and learn in a safe, fun environment.”
Safety is, he said, is the club’s priority. Nationally, the Boys and Girls Clubs have partnered with the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Centers for Disease Control to develop safety practices that benefit all youth organizations.
“Our staff of eight professionals is thoroughly vetted, and their backgrounds checked as we must have the best possible responsible adults to work with our kids,” Cotton said. “We have to be ever-vigilant to ensure our clubs are safe havens for our youth and staffed by caring adult mentors.”
Learning is also an important component, and Lodi’s club has a number of programs such as Power Hour for homework help and tutoring and Brain Gain, which helps prevent summer learning loss.
The programs tie in with the Boys and Girls Club’s dedication to ensuring that every member graduates from high school on time with a solid plan for their future. Programs toward that end include Diplomas to Degrees, CareerLaunch and Money Matters.
Financially, the club itself is doing well overall, according to Cotton.
“Donations are up, and we finished 2014 in the black,” he said.
However, he noted that the non-profit organization needs help from the community and business leaders to continue being successful.
“Beyond financial donations, volunteer time, mentoring for the kids, attending events are also important,” Cotton said. “We want people to get involved because one day these kids will be community members, employees, employers and successful in whatever they do.”
Vino Farms and Taco Bell are among the major supporters of the Lodi operation.
“Businesses that support us, like Taco Bell, realize these kids could be their future workforce, so investing the Lodi Boys and Girls Club is a good investment in their — and the kids’ — futures,” Cotton said.
Currently the club operates with a $500,000 annual budget, which starts from scratch every year.
“It’s a challenge raising money regardless of the community’s size and because there are so many worthy nonprofits also asking for donations,” said Cotton. “I recommend that anyone who wants to know what we do to just come for a visit and tour.”
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