By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)–On Saturday May 31st, 2014, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii – Charles C. Spalding Clubhouse will be renovating their main lobby and two kitchen areas with the help of a $25,000 refurbishment grant from the Lowe’s Foundation. Dozens of volunteers from Lowe’s, Club parents and local military groups will join together to update the key areas in the Club. The Spalding Clubhouse was one of 20 Clubs across the nation awarded the grant to provide updated Club program spaces for the 900 youth members that currently attend the Club.
Boys & Girls members utilizing the current kitchen facilities used for cooking programs and youth job-training experience. Photos courtesy Boys & Girls Club.
The Mission of the Boys & Girls Club is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” The Club provides: a safe place to spend time during non-school hours and the summer as an alternative to the streets or being home alone; a chance to play, have fun, laugh and learn; opportunities to build new skills that raise each child’s belief that he or she can succeed and receive recognition for personal accomplishments; ongoing relationships with caring adults and connections to new friends in a positive environment, reinforcing a sense of belonging, personal accountability, civility, and civic responsibility; and generation-changing programs that support a commitment to learning, positive values, healthy habits and high expectations for success as an adult. The Club lives by the motto: “Great Futures Start Here” and truly believes in providing youth with the foundation for opportunities for success.
Boys & Girls members utilizing the current kitchen facilities used for cooking programs and youth job-training experience. Photos courtesy Boys & Girls Club.
The Charles C. Spalding Clubhouse opened in 1976 in the McCully District of Honolulu. In the nearly 40 years since its doors opened, it has expanded and developed to find ways to best serve the full range of youth ages 7-17. A teen center was built in 1998 to make a deliberate effort to retain members as they transitioned from middle to high school. In 2011, the Club was renovated and updated to better target elementary members and serve their unique needs. In the past three years alone, the daily attendance has nearly doubled to serve over 200 youth daily, and 30% of youth are attending the Club five days a week.
Boys & Girls members utilizing the current kitchen facilities used for cooking programs and youth job-training experience. Photos courtesy Boys & Girls Club.
Boys & Girls members utilizing the current kitchen facilities used for cooking programs and youth job-training experience. Photos courtesy Boys & Girls Club.