By: Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart
Every parent wants to make sure their kids are safe and happy after school — and if they get a snack and some homework help, it’s even better. That’s exactly what Boys & Girls Club offers — and the Club will do even more once the secure, full-service new Elkhart club opens in November. Kids love coming to the Club!
Here are 8 kids who absolutely love the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart for very different reasons.
Micah W., 12, 6th grade
“It’s always fun to interact with new people at Boys & Girls Club. I like to talk to people and play games. It makes me feel really good to play games because people will watch and say, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re so good.’ It makes me feel like a senior citizen, like I’m supposed to be a leader. I can just help get people on the right track. Sometimes I need help getting on the right track too.”
Raegan A., 8, 3rd grade
“I like playing games and going to the gym at the Club. I like that we can play games like kickball and All Hands on Deck. That’s a game where someone says ‘All hands on deck’ and you run to different sides of the gym. The staff is really nice.”
Allison K., 14, 9th grade, Youth of the Year 2016
“I’ve been a member since third grade. In 2016, I ran for and was judged by board members to be the Youth of The Year and I’m running again. I’ve been here for so long and I feel like a leader to other kids. I also like competing, it’s something that i’ve always done. I wanted to be Youth of the Year because it gets my name out there. I feel like I can do big things in the community, I feel like I can be known and looked up to in my community. I volunteer with Faith Mission and Feed the Children. The main reason is that if I give back, I can show other kids that they can give back too.”
Dey’veion H., 9, 3rd grade
“I get to do Indiana Kids and we get to do homework and do field trips. I went to a chocolate factory and tasted the chocolate. Another field trip I did was an all-boys trip and we went bowling. I had $11 so I bought everyone candy and ice cream. I was being caring. They said they wanted to get candy so I got them candy except for two people who wanted ice cream so I got them ice cream. I have a lot of friends here (at the Club). They’re fun and make me laugh.”
Sara S., 12, 7th grade
“I like to chill out and relax at the Club after a very long day at school. I’m excited for the new club because we get to meet other people and we’ll get to have our own space away from little kids.”
Avery M., 13, 8th grade
“I like seeing my friends (at the Club). I also like going to Riverside Village. We go once a month and we play Bingo. I like meeting people with their interesting personalities. I also like to do art projects, especially any form of drawing. Sometimes the staff helps us draw specific things.”
Martal W., 14, 8th grade
“This is my second year. I like that I could try out for sports. I did dodgeball last year. I went to practices almost every other day. We had one game, it was county wide with all of the clubs. It was a lot of fun. I’m excited about more sports at the new Club. I want to join baseball and basketball.”
Tamaryah C., 7, 2nd grade
“I like the gym at the Club. We get to do a lot of fun activities like hula hoops, volleyball, and soccer. I like to say my favorite is hula hoops because I couldn’t do it for a long time. But I’ve got three hula hoops at home and I’ve been practicing and now I can do it. I wanted to practice because it seemed like something I’d be able to do. The old gym seemed so small but the new gym is ginormous. When you’re inside, it looks like it’s taller than Beardsley!”
