The local Boys and Girls Club could close if $48,000 is not raised by this fall, leaving 500 kids unsupervised and without the academic and social guidance the organization provides while their parents are at work.

“This is not to scare everyone, especially our families that need us, but rather to let everyone know that we are facing a $48,000 shortfall this year and we must raise those funds or we will be facing serious cutbacks which will affect the children and their families, said Tina Bernard, CPO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Park County. “Donations have just gone down due to the economy, some of the longtime people who started with the club in 1998 have passed away and the younger generation hasn’t stepped up to what the older generation did.”

For 18 years, the Boys and Girls Club of Park County has provided somewhere for local kids ages 6-18 to go after school and during the summer to learn and socialize — all for only $30 per month, which means donations are heavily relied upon.

“It is really a screaming deal,” Bernard said.

Although the local branch is chartered under Boys and Girls Clubs of America, they are autonomous — meaning keeping the doors open is done at the local level without state or federal funding. And like many entities in Wyoming, the downturn in the mineral extraction industries is hitting hard.

Funding has been cut from every donor, foundation, grant, endowment and local funding stream over the last few years, with the exception of the Powell City Council, which voted to fully fund the Boys and Girls Clubs’ $7,500 request during its budget workshop on Tuesday evening (see related story).

But, there’s still a long way to go for the organization’s funding hole to be filled.

A double-edged sword

The U.S. Department of Education has a $95,000 grant the organization can renew in October, but it’s a “double-edged sword for us,” Bernard said.

If they renew the grant and are unable to keep the doors open, the grant has to be paid back.

The Bill Price Memorial Golf Classic fundraiser is set for the end of August, but that hasn’t been generating the same level of funding as in past years, Bernard said. What used to rake in $25,000 is “lucky to make $8,000 now,” she said.

No other fundraisers are currently planned at this time since that requires putting up money to hold one.

“Park County is fundraised out,” Bernard said.

Efforts are being made to reach out to the community and seek donations. At the beginning of March, 600 chamber members in Powell and Cody received donation requests and 31 responded, generating $3,825.

Reaching their goal of raising $50,000 is as simple as 2,500 people donating only $20 each, Bernard said.   

The tricky part with funding is grants and other sources are specific on what the funds can be used for, she said.

“We need volunteers and board members who aren’t afraid to go face-to-face and ask for donations,” Bernard said.

Grants don’t pay the mortgage or repair pool tables, cover employee health insurance or any of the other expenses that pop up, but donations are unrestricted funds, Bernard said.

Hundreds of kids

Since just Jan. 1, 2015, the Cody branch has served 222 kids (152 families) and Powell has served 187 kids (120 families). Of those kids, about 60 percent fall below the poverty level, Bernard said.

About a quarter of all the elementary-aged kids in Powell go to the Boys and Girls Club. During the summer, they have 120 kids.

“There needs to be a place for kids to go so they’re not on the street,” Bernard said.

“They are going to be looking for something to fill their time, and if it’s not constructive they will find something on their own,” said Powell Police Chief Roy Eckerdt, adding that it creates a potential for criminal activity and a safety concern when so many kids are out unsupervised.

Looks can be deceiving for the Boys and Girls Club in Powell. Bernard noted they are aware the facility needs work done on the exterior, but the priority is keeping the doors open and the programs beneficial to the kids.

“It is really a success for us when a parent was skeptical of what we do with the kids, but this mom said her kids did not want to come but then they came and the preconceived notions she had left and she thanked us for the academic part and homework help — she said she would recommend us to anyone,” Bernard said.

The organization provides five programs the kids rotate between, including arts and crafts, gym, games, a computer lab for learning internet safety and they do character and leadership development. Contact is also kept with all the teachers so the adults at the club know who has homework and can help students along the way.

“It isn’t just a free-for-all,” Bernard said. “We are not a daycare.”

The group also goes on field trips such as to the pool, movie theater and the parks.

But it’s not all just fun and games; they also focus on education and career development and have a partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield for health and life skills such as healthy habits and drug and alcohol prevention.

“When we started the healthy habits portion, it was not fully receptive to all the kids because they wanted to buy candy and chips and pop for snacks. But once we got into that and they started learning foods they like are healthy, like cheese and fruits, they got on board for it and we noticed a shift in what they get for their snacks,” Bernard said. “Parents have commented to us that, when at the store, the kids are picking healthier snacks.”

On Wednesday afternoons in Powell, unit director Tiffany Wutzke, hosts a coffee shop for teenagers to hang out in the upstairs area where there is Wi-Fi, a pool table, video games and of course coffee and snacks.

Their winter hours are from 3-7 p.m., plus early release days or when the schools are closed. Summer hours are from 7:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

To donate, go to First Bank of Wyoming and make a deposit, or send checks to 815 E 5th Street in Powell or 308 16th Street in Cody, or drop them off at the facility.