Boys & Girls Clubs to Expand
Hillary Gavan/Beloit Daily News | Jan 17, 2020
BELOIT — The Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs, Inc. has plans to build a new Beloit facility along the Fourth Street corridor and to renovate its South Beloit site at 1161 Dorr Road, Clubs CEO Mark Rand said.
The organization has retained Snell & Associates Consultants as counsel for the 2020 Capital Campaign to help raise the necessary $5 million for the project. Ideally, the new facility would be ready for youth by the summer of 2021. Rand stressed the project is still in the planning stages, with more details to come.
“Snell & Associates Consultants has been guiding and working successfully nationally with organizations, especially Boys & Girls Clubs, with their capital campaign efforts since 1995. The facts they historically exceed established fundraising goals and are familiar with the Greater Beloit community were big determinants for our board,” Rand said.
Having a new Beloit facility along Fourth Street will offer families a more centralized location. The current Beloit building is on the far west side of town at 1851 Moore St.
“The focus will be for the new facility to be more centrally located along the Fourth Street corridor nearer community partners, in particular Beloit Memorial High School’s student population,” Rand said.
The Stateline Boys & Girls Club has a total membership of close to 2,000 registered members between its Beloit and South Beloit facilities and school-based sites. Rand said 88% of members live below the poverty line, and 44% of its youth come from single parent homes.
“The youth of the Stateline Area face many challenges that our Boys & Girls Clubs help them navigate,” Rand said.
With after-school being a time when young people can potentially get into trouble, Rand said, educational services for them during this time period is critical. Being closer to the high school will also provide more programming opportunities for teens.
“By raising the $5 million needed for the project the Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs will significantly increase the number of youth who can and will be able to access our services,” Rand said.
The Stateline Boys & Girls Club was founded in 1955, with its Beloit building constructed in 1960.
The mission of the Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. The vision is to get members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future and to demonstrate good character and citizenship while living a healthy lifestyle.
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