CLEVELAND — While a typical school day ends at around 3pm, a typical work day might not end until 6 p.m. So what exactly are families supposed to do to keep their kids safe and engaged after school?
Enter Boys & Girls Clubs – a free space for kids to learn, grow and play - and Northeast Ohio just happens to be home to one of the country’s largest chapters.
I recently had the chance to stop by the Broadway location in Cleveland, where CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio Allen Smith told me what makes this place so special, and so vital, for local kids.
"I think the vast majority of the kids that come to the Boys and Girls Club want to be in a safe environment. They want to have fun and we provide that for them," he said. "They can participate in the arts, they can participate in sports and recreation, they can play on a sports team. We have all kinds of field trips, exposure trips that kids go on."
And as Smith told me, if you haven't had the opportunity to experience their work firsthand, it's worth a visit to see just what goes on here.
"We have so many people that drive by this building and say, 'I always drove by there and wondered what was happening in there'," he said. "And I think if they came in and saw the great relationships that caring adults are building with kids, they saw the cool programs that kids were participating in, they got a chance to see that we provide kids with meals every single day for free. I think that their perspective on what we do might change."
The boss was kind enough to give me the run of the place so I could check out the facility for myself and it certainly does not disappoint.
I eventually landed in the gymnasium, where some young men were kind enough to humble me during a spirited game of knockout, in which I was indeed, rather unceremoniously, knocked out. I then visited an arts & crafts room where the guests were creating their own vision boards. The experience was, notably delightful.
During my visit, it was abundantly clear that making sure that all kids have access to resources like this invaluable, as assistant club director and former club kid Jahleel Moon can attest to.
"The Boys and Girls Club gave me a safe space. I was always an athlete, so I had practice. School ended at 2:10. Practice started at four. I needed a place to go," he told me. "Just being here with these kids every day, knowing the impact that the club had on me. That's what kept me here and that's what I want to give back to them."
Some places you walk into just have a good vibe and that vibe is coming out of the walls here.
The kids I met were really great. They were funny, sharp and gracious, and it’s hard not to think that at least some of that might be the result of this special place. Supporting the club now through donation or your volunteer time can go a long way to making sure this place gets to keep helping produce other good, funny kids to the collective benefit of the Greater Cleveland area.
"Whatever you have to do, just get here," Smith said. "Because we want you here volunteering with our kids or contributing, helping us to do great work with them."
WEB EXTRA: Mike learns about Vision Boards from some of the kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio's Broadway location