Boys & Girls Club-St Char MO - STEAMbotics Academy

Summer Camp at the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County is drawing to a close.  Between the two Boys & Girls Clubs in St. Charles County over 400 children have been enrolled in Summer Camp 2016.  At the St. Charles location, we now have the luxury of being in an air-conditioned Club.  It is now a Club that does not have a leaking roof, a Club that has program classrooms, a Club that has so much more to offer.  As we move forward and open the doors for the After School Program, parents will begin to enroll their children with current memberships. Before Summer Camp ends we celebrate with our "Back to School Bash".  During the Bash, children are given free hair cuts and bookbags equipped with their required school needs. The current programs will continue and new programs will be initiated.

However, we still must satisfy the debt on the new facility in St. Charles.  Eliminating the current debt will free up additional revenue that is now being absorbed by the debt.  We will not lose sight of the fact that our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring responsible citizens.  The programs offered at the Boys & Girls Clubs are extremely important to the children.  For many of our members, our programs keep them interested in school by helping them be prepared to participate in the classroom. It gives them the desire to graduate, get a good education and become gainfully employed as they reach adulthood.  The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County is an important home for many. It is a place where they feel safe, enjoy favorable experiences, builds self-esteem and enjoy the caring staff. 

As the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County continues to be operational in its new facility the need to retire the debt has become paramount.  Debt payments drastically reduces the available funds that are essential to provide the necessary programs that support our mission.  As we review the Boys & Girls Club mission, we realize even more the need for our services.  The membership of the Club continues to grow, the need to serve more children continues to increase.  The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County extends a welcome hand to all children, especially those who need us the most.  No child is denied our programs.  The Club continues to be a home away from home for many.  It is a safe environment where the children can engage in completing their homework for the day and be prepared to go to school the next day. It is a place where they are encouraged to look ahead to their future; and not think about leaving their educational process prematurely. Even at an early age, the Boys & Girls Club members are exposed to many career paths. They are encouraged to entertain the mind set of becoming gainfully employed as an adult. It is a place where they are fed a nutritious meal before they depart for home at night.  Many children arrive after school and remain in the Club until it closes when they go home and get ready for bed.  If it were not for the Club, many of the members would go home after school to an empty house with no food available to them until they go to school the next morning where they received breakfast.  Proven statistics show that children who are experiencing hunger do not progress in school as the concentration level is poor.  Childhood hunger can be the cause of early onset of adult illness. These are just a couple of reasons why it is of extreme importance that the debt on the new facility be eliminated and we can fully concentrate on providing for the children in the Community.