The Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse: Creating a safe and enriching space for kids
Moira (Reporter): Just because school’s out for the day, doesn’t mean the fun has to stop, or learning. In the south side of Syracuse, lies one of three boys and girls clubs in the city. It is not only a safe after-school program, but helps kids like Talyaah find a community.
Taliyaah (member): If you’re down or having a bad day, you can come here, make new friends.
Zach (member): Coming here is like you always have a family.
Moira: Director of Fund Development Jim Hastie says the club’s goal is to enrich lives – whether that’s through academics like tutoring, character development, or promoting healthy lifestyles that help keep kids off the streets
Jim Hastie: We have three locations in downtown Syracuse, and they are located in the neighborhoods with the lowest household income and highest rates of juvenile arrest.
Moira: According to the Department of Justice, 64% of juvenile crimes in the U.S. happens on school days, with the highest rate of crimes right as school gets out.
Hastie: There’s a lot of violence around this town that surrounds us. But through these blue doors, these kids are safe.
Moira: And to donors like Jim Boeheim, supporting the Boys and Girls Club uplifts the city.
Jim Boeheim (Donor, Former SU men’s basketball coach): The cities need to do things for young kids. we need to help them to put them on a path where they can be successful. They aren’t successful, then the city can’t be successful. It’s really that simple.
Moira: Success isn’t built overnight; it’s by fostering a community for kids to play and grow in from a young age.
Zach: I used to not like reading, but now I actually like reading.
Moira: In Syracuse, New York, Moira Vaughan, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – When class is dismissed for the day, it doesn’t mean the fun or learning has to end.
When 3 o’clock hits, kids from across Syracuse trickle into the Boys and Girls Club, ready to see their friends, do their homework, or play all kinds of sports.
“The first day, I was scared. I was scared that nobody would like me,” said one of the teen members of the after school program, Taliyaah. “But if you’re down or having a bad day, you can come here.”
“It’s like one big family here,” said teen member Daliah.
The mission of the program is to enrich the lives of children who may need it the most in a safe environment.
“We have three clubs in downtown Syracuse, and they are located in the neighborhoods with the lowest household incomes and highest rates of juvenile arrest,” said Director of Fund Development James Hastie.
According to the Department of Justice, 64% of juvenile crimes in the U.S. happen on school days, with peak crime rates at 3 p.m.
“There’s a lot of violence around this town that surrounds us. But through these blue doors, these kids are safe,” said Hastie.
Hastie shares that the Boys and Girls Club focuses on three main components: academic success, character and leadership development, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Academic programs such as “Money Matters”, tutoring, and STEM help kids reach their goals and prepare them for the world.
“We do a lot of engineering stuff, like we build things,” said Daliah, who wants to work for NASA someday. “I’m very much into space and astronauts.”
“I used to not really like reading,” said Zach, who serves as president of the club’s leadership group, The Torch Club. “But now, I really like to read.”
“They celebrate each other’s successes,” said Hastie. “When someone gets a good grade, everyone is excited for them.”
Former SU men’s basketball coach and longtime donor Jim Boeheim says the children are the key to a prosperous city.
“If these kids aren’t gonna be successful, the city’s not gonna be successful. It’s that simple,” said Boeheim, who’s donated millions of dollars for 25 years to the Boys and Girls Club.
The program relies on public donors and support to continue in-club programs, field trips, and fun activities.
“We should be doing more. We should get more people involved,” said Boeheim.
No matter the background or what life may look like outside the building doors, all bad thoughts are left when you walk in.
“You can feel free here,” says Zach.