A Club brings new life into the heart of West Salem.
It all started by the thoughts and determination of a small group of concerned citizens, as part of the Village People, who felt the village had a need for a positive place young boys and girls could go to get a variety of needs met in an open, accepting environment. Club programs will focus on complimenting the current programs offered by the Village Park and Recreation Department as well as local offerings like hockey.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America's tradition of service to the nation's youth began in 1860, when the first Boys Club was established in Hartford, Connecticut. The organization has grown to serve more than 3 million youth annually in over 2,600 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country! On August 21, 2006, Robert Nesse, MD, Franciscan Skemp President and CEO, and Ron Paczkowski, Franciscan Skemp Executive Vice President, presented Don Brenengen, Village People Youth Committee President, with a $1.00 a year lease for their West Salem Clinic building as a home for the Boys and Girls Club of West Salem Area.
What Can You Do?
The Boys & Girls Club of West Salem Area will need strong support to open and remain sustainable. Everyone and every gift is valuable in helping this organization realize its dreams for our youth!
By making a contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of West Salem Area, you will enhance quality of life by providing children with the opportunity to participate in programs that mold them into successful citizens of our community. You will make a difference in a child's life-one child at a time-who otherwise would not have the opportunities a Boys & Girls Club provides.
The Club attracts and guides young people with core programs in five areas:
- Character and Leadership Development, emphasizing interpersonal relationship-building, self-image and contribution to the community.
- Education and Career Development, teaching basic educational disciplines and technology.
- Health and Life Skills, encouraging goal-setting and self-sufficiency.
- The Arts, nurturing creativity, cultural awareness and appreciation for the arts.
- Sports, Fitness and Recreation, developing physical and social skills, stress management and appreciation for the environment.
