Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista, Inc.

Nationwide, there are as many as 15 million young people who are not being served by our Clubs. These kids do not have structured supervised programs or activities to keep them safe.
It is within the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. that youth are most at risk of negative behaviors and the associated consequences. The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that nearly half of all juvenile crimes occur between these hours. A joint study conducted by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice indicates the critical need for after-school programs like those offered by Boys & Girls Clubs.
“School-age children and teens who are unsupervised during the hours after school are far more likely to use alcohol, drugs, and tobacco; engage in criminal and other high-risk behaviors; receive poor grades; display more behavior problems; and drop out of school than those children who have the opportunity to benefit from constructive activities supervised by responsible adults. In a 1994 Harris pool, more than one-half of teachers singled out 'children who are left on their own after school' as the primary explanation for students' difficulties in class."
Although more than 550 boys and girls are taking advantage of the programs, activities and services provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista, we need to do more.
Of the families we served in 2016, 68% qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch. At our full rates, members pay less than half of what it costs for them to attend the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista. It is our goal to make sure we do not turn away any youth due to financial reasons. In the summer of 2016, over 50% of the youth we served received financial assistance in addition to paying a low full rate.

Serve more disadvantaged youth and help them get on a path to a great future.

The effectiveness of Boys & Girls Clubs has been proven repeatedly. An independent survey of Club alumni, conducted by Louis Harris & Associates, found that Clubs help young people grow into productive citizens.
The survey revealed our alumni's firm conviction that Club membership had a positive effect on their lives, provided the skills necessary for leadership, improved their relationships with others and influenced success in later life. In fact, more than half of the alumni said that their Boys & Girls Clubs saved their lives.
The Carnegie Corporation's report, A Matter of Time: Risk and Opportunity in the Non-School Hours, underscores the importance of community environment and institutions in contributing to the development of young people. The report emphasizes that the opportunity to make a positive contribution arises largely outside the structural academic environment. The report concludes that community-based youth development organizations, like Boys & Girls Clubs, represent a valuable national resource with considerable untapped potential.
The Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista is well positioned in the community and has demonstrated the ability to meet the needs of its youth. As a national and local Movement, we have been successful for many years in executing and evaluating program strategies to meet the needs of children, particularly those living in hard-to-reach, undeserved communities.

Young people engaged in activities and programs that enhance their self-esteem and build life skills do not become involved in costly and destructive behavior. They take responsibility for their own actions, encourage peers to do the same, and act as role models for younger boys and girls. Funding will enable the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista to provide even more at risk young people in our community with an exciting, meaningful alternative to the destructiveness of crime, drugs and gang involvement, enabling them to become valuable assets to the community. In these troubled times, that is a dividend well worth an investment from the Community Development Block Grant. Although more than 550 boys and girls are taking advantage of the programs, activities and services provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista, we need to do more.