After school programs in full swing at Boys & Girls Clubs

FALLBROOK — With more than 2,100 student members, Boys & Girls Club facilities in Fallbrook, Bonsall and Pala are the place to be when the afternoon school bell rings. There, “power hour” homework help, games, crafts, music and other supervised activities are keeping kids busy and safe during a time when some might otherwise be at risk.

“The critical hours between 2 and 6 p.m. are when some kids go home to an empty house,” said Chief Executive Officer Abe Oliveras. “The Boys & Girls Club provides affordable supervision until parents get off work and can pick them up.”

After-school care programs can cost parents hundreds of dollars per month, but daily attendance at nonprofit Boys & Girls Club facilities costs just $25 a year, and no one is turned away because of inability to pay. Primary funding sources for the program come from grants and donations and, Oliveras said, while there have been a few setbacks, Boys & Girls Club of North County is fully operational and busily pursuing new funding avenues.

“No programs for children have had to be cut. We’re in full swing and maxed to capacity, with waiting lists at every one of our program sites,” he said.

At the Bonsall West Elementary site, where 120 kids currently participate, new funds were received from both the Boys & Girls Club of America and the local North County Club. Oliveras said the club keeps a reserve emergency fund set aside, through which funding was provided to help keep the site up and running when a budget shortfall was announced. In addition, parents of Bonsall West students rallied to raise $6,000 for their school’s site, according to the school principal.

According to Oliveras, all seven of the Boys & Girls Club school sites, including six Fallbrook and Bonsall elementary schools and one on the Pala Reservation, will soon be eligible to receive new state funding because of Proposition 49. (California voters approved this initiative in 2002, providing increased funding for after-school programs.) This money is expected to be disbursed in February or March, and Oliveras said it looks “very favorable” that North County Boys & Girls Clubs will be on the recipient list.

In other news, Unit Director Gabe Gonzalez has been working on revitalizing the club’s sports programs, with plans to add an adult indoor soccer program and youth and adult flag football. Gonzales is currently in the middle of putting a new high school basketball league together as well.

He said, “I’m working with the coaches to get some teams that can play now and act as a feeder program for the high school, which will be having basketball tryouts in November. I have three teams now and am expecting to add two more.”

Those interested in Boys & Girls Club programs or getting involved with the “Step Up to the Plate” fundraising campaign are invited to call (760) 728-5871.