Boys and Girls Club set to reopen doors
Jul 7, 2011
Source: Daily World
Author: Tina Marie Macias
If all goes according to plan, the Boys and Girls Club — Opelousas Unit should reopen its doors this August, right in time for the start of school, chairwoman of the club’s board Andrea Dean said.
Since the club opened in 2011, it has offered both after-school and summer programs for some 600 children annually, but a lack of funding shuttered the program for the first time since its opening, Dean said.
“We did not meet budget. We have not met budget for the last three years,” she said. “We used to get a substantial donation from the (Opelousas) Housing Authority that would range from $50,000 to $60,000 (annually). We lost that funding because of the housing authorities budget problems in 2008. We’re about $150,000 in debt to our corporate office.”
Club officials channeled some of the reserves from the Lafayette clubs and other clubs in Acadiana to Opelousas. But eventually, that funding stream also dried up. It costs about $150,000 annually to run the club, which occupied an OHA building, Dean said.
Now the club is working to rebuild its finances with upcoming fundraisers and new contributions. The City of Opelousas has pledged ,$60,000 annually, Dean said, effectively taking its current $12,000 contribution and applying that on an monthly basis.
Opelousas Mayor Don Cravins had hoped the pledge would have been enough to restart the program this summer, but the club’s budget situation was too dire. Additionally, Opelousas City Court Judge Vanessa Harris offered up her portion of the city budget, which equals $12,000 a year, Dean said. Among Harris’ duties is running juvenile court.
“Her statement was, ‘I would rather give the money on the front end by keeping them out of trouble, rather than seeing them in her courtroom,'” Dean said, pointing to the common idea that occupied children will stay out of trouble.
As usual, the club will hold its annual Home Run Derby & Softball Tournament on July 16, and will add on a precursor event — a concert with Chubby Carrier the night before.
“He’s donating his time,” Dean said. “He has been our musician spokesperson for a year.”
The concert will cost $10, as will the softball tournament. People can challenge Police Chief Perry Gallow to a homerun competition by donating $20 for 10 swings.
The hope is that those two events raise about ,000. Last year, the homerun competition raised about $18,000 on its own, Dean said. In addition, a Cocktails & Contribution event for business leaders will be held Monday.
But Dean is appealing to more than just business leaders.
“We need our community to say, ‘I want to contribute to our club on a monthly basis and I want to contribute $10 a month for two or three years,” she said. “So what we need the community to understand is that it’s not just the responsibility for the business leaders. It’s all of our responsibility. We need to step up and donate our funds.”
The Boys and Girls Club is a nonprofit organization, so donations are tax deductible.
The club’s summer closure came as a surprise for the children and parents. When parents picked up their children on May 17 from the after-school program, they were informed that today would be its last day of operation.
The summer program, which served 160 children daily, was canceled after officials learned it did not have the funding to sustain the program. It came to the realization in the final week of the after-school program. During the school year the club would operate from 3 to 7 p.m., and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer.
Annual dues were $7 for the school year, but will increase to $10 when the club reopens, Dean said.
“There were multiple programs. The staff would help with tutoring; would help with their homework. They would do games, field trips, counseling. People come in and speak on bullying and things of that nature,” Dean said.
Staff Writer Judy Bastien contributed to this report.
The Boys and Girls Club has planned the following fundraisers:
>> “Cocktails & Contributions” with Opelousas Police Chief Perry Gallow at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Cafe Breen, 204 N. Main, Opelousas.
>> 3rd Annual Home Run Derby & Softball Tournament with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Department and Opelousas Police Department at 10 a.m. July 16 at South City Park. Gallow will participate in a home run competition.
>> Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band from 8 to 11 p.m. July 15 at Mojo’s Sports Bar at the Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino.