>> The boys and girls clubs of
greater Houston had been
touching the lives of young
people in one way or another
going into a 68 year. It looks
much different now than it did
even 4 months ago because of
the COVID-19 pandemic but even
with the many changes that have
been put into place the mission
is still the same and being
executed. Here this morning to
talk about what that mission is
and how accomplishing it has
changed and what the future
holds. Kevin had a he was a
president and CEO of the boys
and girls clubs of greater
Houston and Jews young Julius
young is the chair of the
board. Thank you both for being
here. We appreciate what you do
when Kevin talk about the
mission. What is the mission of
the boys and girls Club and how
has that changed with the
pandemic in place.
>> Well good morning camera on
the have boys and girls we
appreciate the opportunity to
join you and thank you for what you’re doing to public health
you’re doing to public health
crisis well, boys and girls
Club it provides programming to
young people ages 6 to 17
providing academic success
character development and a
healthy lifestyle program E and
at this time what we had to do
it do it like many other
organizations in order to best
meet the needs of the the
vulnerable communities that we
are Surrey and so we alterar
programming provide drive to
the pantry says or lifestyles
of our families um and children
both we’ve also a startup some
virtual interactive learning
and caught the on demand.
Well the experience and that’s
on our our Web site so that
kids can go there and continue
there. Academic learning while
they are out of out of school.
It also and this is really
important. We have been a
making calls to our families
and members up for the last 9
weeks averaging 1000 calls per
week you. What we call our
family check ins and to help
them guide them through a
situation so continue to stand
tough to do is how difficult.
>> Has the challenge been to
turn away from what has been a
hands on kind of atmosphere
that the boys and girls Club you always see that kids are
you always see that kids are
playing interacting with
teachers and that sort of thing
you had to adjust the way you
implement your mission but what
kind of challenges have been to
change to the virtual in other
kinds of ways even though you
know the missions being
accomplished.
>> Well, you know, I’d say it’s
been an emotional Our staff and
the board and the leadership
group. We Germans kids and for
a lot of these kids these are
safe zones for them. And we
worry about is for a long time
those kids could relieve
themselves from some pretty
difficult circumstances and
find their ways or anywhere
skews me to one of our clubs.
An extended period of time, I’m
so emotional for us to to
imagine what some of these kids
going through so. As Kevin
mentioned that outreach program
that we’ve had we’ve got 2
thousands of families and
making sure that connection was
there was really important for the kids the families and us to
>> This time.
Yeah I think that’s probably
the most important thing was
our parents really appreciate
the fact that we were a
reaching out to them number one
number 2 it also the altering
of delivery model so when this
situation started about at
least one out of 3. Parents
were saying that had to get
security so that drew. a
decision to set up a lot of dry
PPP entries in the areas we
serve and the second. Item is
the fact they want to know when
the clubs are going to open
back up they they want a Most
recently surveyed said that
they want a place for their
children to go to or summer
programming.
>> And Kevin, I know you work
with Judge Lewis and the
regularly very importantly and
determining how you’re going to
open up and when you’re going
to open up Joyce talk about the
challenge that you have in
terms of finding the way that
you guys want to open up safely
to be able to accomplish the
goals of the organization but
yet make sure that everybody is
going to be safe and that
process.
>> It’s great question and our
chief concern of safety and our biggest challenge is going to
biggest challenge is going to
be allowing as many touches as
possible into our facilities in
a safe social distance for
America and that stuff we’re
going to make some tough
decisions in terms of how to do
that but we’re going to do that
with the safety of the change
that our staff in mind that
usually has its job.
>> Partnership to see a very
very big part of what
everybody’s doing these days,
especially nonprofits come and
talk about the partnerships
that you’ve developed with
other nonprofit organizations,
how that’s helped. >> Great partnerships with why
>> Great partnerships with why
the Houston food bank. Children
at risk. These are
organizations we or 18 our station list so that we’re all
station list so that we’re all
on the same page going for it
as we start to look for the
opportunities to open up and
some of the additional charges
are going to come even more
importantly go for those with
it, a social and emotional
well-being because that’s what
families and kids are going to
need as well partnerships with
our Independent School District
says we look to identify the
best way possible to the
children, especially when you
think about really done and map
and this endemic learning
slightest is going compound
what typically happen during
the summer months and so we’re
going to be are you with those
organizations to best serve the
children in the family’s joy a
volunteer aboard leader as well
so understand our goal and our
responsibility one of the
challenges.
>> Going forward is to make
sure we have the funding in
place talk about the town and
you have how can people best
support you and what the boys
and girls clubs doing right now
in terms of the funding.
>> Oh you’re absolutely right
this is a unique crises and
that it is impacting everyone.
I’m not just those at risk, I’m
not this just those of a are
certain section of the city.
So we’re fighting for dollars
and the best thing we can do is
make sure we get as much
exposure a speech and our
mission and get as much
exposure as much and to the
issues that are out there in
the economy ultimately that are
going to rear their head once
this really starts to open up
the script where it when you
think about what’s going to
happen once a common really
starts open out this is going
to be a lot of damage out there
in order to protect the Jews
but also in order to get the
families that were important
for institutions like the worst
person, here’s Houston to be
there to spur.
>> We’re going to make sure put
your information on the
newsmakers page of click 2
Houston dot com. So people can
go to it find out what the
mission is to contribute if
they should want to and hope
that they will thank you both
for being here this morning,