BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE COASTAL BEND (BGCCB) HISTORY
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Bend’s (BGCCB) first club was established in 1957 at the La Armada Housing projects in Corpus Christi, Texas by Sheridan Lewis, the President of Southern Community Gas Company. The demand for a Club in our community was so overwhelming that the Club's location changed twice with in a 12-year span to accommodate growth. The opening of the Greenwood Unit in 1969 was able to provide adequate space for the increasing demand. Still operational today, the Greenwood Unit is a 30,000 square foot facility on 15-acres of land in the heart of the economically disadvantaged west-side of Corpus Christi. ​In 2020, we had over 1,700 registered Club members and served over 850 community youth and families, through our after-school programs, summer camps, sports leagues, and community events at our two locations: the Greenwood Unit and an on-site after-school program at Flour Bluff ISD.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA (BGCA) MOVEMENT
In every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. An increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision. Young people need to know that someone cares about them. Boys & Girls Clubs offer that and more. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its
beginnings in 1860 with three women in Hartford, Conneticut: Mary Goodwin,Alice Goodwin and Elizabeth Hammersley. Believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, they organized the first Club. A cause was born. Today, Boys & Girls Clubs annually serve nearly 4 million young people, through membership and community outreach, in over 4,100 Club facilities throughout the country and BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide.
WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BUILD GREAT FUTURES!
At Boys & Girls Clubs, we never take a single approach when it comes to helping kids succeed.
We believe it takes a safe environment, skilled staff, and high-quality programs to ensure kids and teens have a great future. For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs have relentlessly provided young people with the guidance they need to be innovative, brave, and confident. We are boys & girls & tech & tutoring & fitness & arts & music and so much more!
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