On Thursday, April 11, there will be a community meeting on the possibility of getting a Creswell Boys & Girls Club – an organization that provides after-school programs for children.
Creswell resident Kimberlee Smith was part of the Eugene program when she was a kid and said that, ”The Boys & Girls Club of Eugene has greatly benefited children for years, myself included. More and more you see the two-income households; our kids are becoming latchkey kids, but what if we had more for them? What if we were able to get them help with the homework that was getting missed or forgotten? What if we could offer them somewhere safe and fun to learn to be more successful?”
This program has been proven to help the children succeed better in school, learn how to become productive in life skills and overall lessen a child’s opportunity to become involved in unsafe practices, Smith said.
”I have kids of my own and I saw a need for more options in our community as our children are getting older,” Smith said. ”We have many options for young children, but the Boys & Girls Club can offer more to our older kids and safe place for them to hang out.”
The group could offer homework helpers, more teen activities and programs, and after-school programs, and is a safe place that offers support and opportunities driven by the community.
”After school programs are a must in such a growing community and I think we could all benefit from peace of mind,” Smith said. ”We would also be trying to bring an affordable option to our community to allow a space for all school-aged kids.”
The meeting will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cobalt Activity Center, 364 Cobalt Lane and the public is encouraged to attend.
