OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — For club director, Tony Gonzalez, working with kids at the South Omaha Boys and Girls Club is full circle.
“I grew up in this club and I learned so much in the programs I participated in,” he said.
Now, he helps today’s kids and teens in the programs, exposing them to a variety of interests such as hiking, fishing and even bird watching.
The goal of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to help kids discover their interests and provide a pathway to success, whether that means post-secondary education through scholarships, career exploration, or the military.
“I was a senior in high school when I applied for the Boys & Girls Club scholarship in the fall of 2020,” Jocabed Martinez, youth development professional, said. “I went to school at UNO for criminal justice and then I decided to enlist.”
After basic training, Martinez is also working at the same Boys & Girls Club she first attended as a teenager.
These days, thanks to the fallout from the pandemic, the number of teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs has steeply declined.
“Pre-COVID we were seeing about 70 to 80 teens just here at this site,” Gonzalez said. “After COVID, it’s been half of that number now.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands has teen programs at 9 of its 12 locations across the Omaha area, to try and get more teens interested, the organization will keep their existing programs open one extra hour staring in the Fall.
“We thought it was essential to do anything we needed to do to bring the kids back into the clubs,” said Jermaine Jones, chief career navigation officer.
To become a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, kids can either sign up in person at your nearest location or through the website.
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