Boys & Girls Club to build youth center

The Boys & Girls Club of the Columbia Area has launched a capital campaign to raise $800,000 to create a 9,000-square-foot youth development center in Columbia to triple the capacity to serve at-risk youth in Columbia.
Boys & Girls Club currently rents two facilities: one at 1002 Fay Street and the other at 7th Street near Hickman High School. The 7th Street facility is the teen center and serves sixth-graders to high school seniors. The Fay Street facility has activities for kindergartners to fifth-graders.
The capital campaign will be used to remodel the 3,000 square feet of the 7th Street facility and build a 6,000 square-foot addition. Services provided at the Fay Street location will move to the 7th Street facility.
“Having all of us under one roof will save a lot of money in transportation costs, and we won’t have to double our services like we do now,” says Executive Director Valorie Livingston.
“We have the opportunity right now to expand our programs and reach more at-risk children, and the need has never been greater,” Livingston adds. “Crime among juveniles is growing. Nearly 40 percent of students in Columbia receive free or reduced-cost meals, which means they’re living at or below the poverty level. Boys & Girls can be part of the solution to help these kids.”
Livingston and board Chairman Mike Grellner say the Boys & Girls Clubs after-school programs provides a safe environment and a schedule of activities for 150 children. The new center will allow the clubs to serve up to 500 students. “Every year we have a waiting list of at least 200 children,” Livingston says.
The core programs of Boys & Girls Clubs include character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, arts, sports, fitness and recreation. The two facilities are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and there are some Saturday activities. “Our staff comprises two full-time administrators and two full-time and six part-time program directors,” Livingston says. “We really rely on hundreds of volunteers.”
Remodeling of the existing 7th Street facility is set to begin by December. The Boys & Girls Clubs will use part of the Wilkes United Methodist Church until the remodel is complete.
Livingston says she hopes that construction of the new center will be completed next summer. “We just received $250,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program tax credits from the state, and we’ve already raised $625,000 of our $800,000 goal, so we’re well on our way toward reaching our goal.” The new facility will be conveyed to the club through a long-term leasehold.
Grellner, who is vice president of Plaza Commercial Realty, says he would like other area businesses to learn more about the tax credits. “They are a great investment from both a financial standpoint, and in terms of the impact they can have on our community, when it results in contributions to organizations such as The Boys & Girls Club,” he says.