The Battlefords Boys and Girls Club has been around for 35 years. Over that time we have seen many children come and go through our doors. We have been through a couple of location changes and our programs have been moulded to meet the needs in our community.
This community is constantly changing yet it stays the same in so many ways. Friendly neighbours, supportive businesses and a melting pot for various cultures and traditions are the ways it seems to stay consistent. Yet in the short while I have lived here I have seen some changes, one of course being the growth that is apparent now that a census has been completed.
With growth also comes need. Due to having more families in the community and more youth needing a place to go after school our numbers have grown year after year and we have been adjusting our programming to meet the needs. That is why we introduced new programs and activities like our supper program and kids in the kitchen.
We have totally out grown our building. What has served us well for many years is now inadequate; originally we had 10-12 youth attending a particular program now a program with less than 25 children is seen as a slow or not well attended program. Most days we have 90-120 children come through the doors for our various programs.
One program we are very proud of is our supper program. Since we began this activity we have served over 2100 meals to children.
Even though our community is very helpful and supportive I do get asked many of the same questions, why do they need to get food from you when social services helps out?, Aren't you adding to the problem by enabling parents to assume their children will be taken care of by someone else? Is there really any need in our community?
One thing I can answer for certain is there is a need in our community. The hours after school are critical to a child's healthy growth and development. Research indicates providing young people with access to structured, enriching recreational and social programs outside of school greatly benefits their peer relationships, emotional health and academic performance. If that after school time is unsupervised, however, it can be a dangerous, unhealthy time. Forty per cent of all physical assaults involving children take place after school. Twenty per cent of victims of violent crime are less than 17 years old. Twenty-five per cent of youth are victims of bullying. Ninety per cent of children and youth do not meet Canada's Physical Activity Guidelines. Twenty-six per cent of children ages six to 11 are considered obese.
Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities such as after school programs are 49 per cent more likely to have used drugs and 37 per cent more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four hours per week in after school programs.
These are national statistics, but are similar to what we see in our community. The bottom line is we see potential in every child and the programs we offer help them to see their potential too.
Our programs do not contribute to a lack of supervision, they give supervision to the children who would otherwise be left unsupervised. We do not give a reason to spend food money on other item. We feed children who would not otherwise eat. We do not offer activities in place of parental guidance, we supplement and aid in the development of children.
We are a place where children can see their potential, where they can be proud to be themselves and we know that every child deserves the right to dream and aspire to great things.
We are a good place to be
