“Boys & Girls Club is a safe, fun place for kids - DL-Online” |
| Boys & Girls Club is a safe, fun place for kids - DL-Online Posted: 28 Jan 2011 03:56 PM PST When asked, kids and adults seem to agree on two words that most describe the Boys and Girls Club of Detroit Lakes — safe and fun. "It's like a home away from home. It's fun to come here rather than go home and sitting," Lucas Olson, 12, said. Children are welcome at the Boys and Girls Club every day after school from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Two vans run back and forth for about an hour, picking up kids from all the schools in Detroit Lakes. Ages 12 and up are welcome to go to Grace Lutheran Church (or they can stay at the club), and ages 5-11 hang out at the club. "It's a break from all the little kids," Dakota Hagen, 14, said. Especially with younger siblings at the club, he added. With Grace Lutheran Church letting the club use their space, the young teens can watch movies, play pool or ping pong, do homework, go sledding and in the summer, skateboard and other outdoor activities. The kids all agree, regardless of their age, that they have made new friends because of the Boys and Girls Club. And if they weren't at the club after school, "I'd be at home, sitting, doing nothing," Hagen said. "I'd be bored," agreed Annalissa Chosa, 12. At Grace Lutheran, Nikki Hansen serves as supervisor over the teens. "She's our favorite staff. She's like my second mom," Olson said. "She's the coolest," agreed Chosa. "She let's us do anything, as long as it's appropriate," Olson added. And the feelings seem to be mutual. Hansen said she did home daycare for a few years and realized she enjoyed working with kids. So, she started working for the club, where she averages 18 kids a day to entertain after school. "It's been the best job ever I think," she said. "I hope the best for them. I just love these kids so much." Hansen has two kids of her own in the elementary school, so they hang out at the club, which is convenient for her. Another parent with young kids at the club is Andrew Gag. He has two daughters, ages 9 and 6, who have been going to the club after hearing about the programming and how fun the club is. "We heard good things about it. Shortly after our first child went there last year, she just loved it, so that's why we kept going back this year," he said. Gag said his daughter likes the activities and loves bringing projects home. "I see it as a safe environment to have your kids at after school," he said. "You can really tell the staff enjoys working with the kids, and that's always good for a parent to know that your kids are in a well-structured environment and one that's fun for the kids." Program Director Tahnee Moe lists free time, Target Service, Power Hour, arts and crafts, computer lab, gym and Smart Moves as some of the programs offered for kids. There is also summer programming for kids. Membership is $40 a year, and includes transporting the kids to the club after school. Moe said the club averages about 120 kids a day after school, and about 60 kids eat supper at the club too. At the club where the younger kids hang out, it's the same reasons they started, friends and fun. "One of my friends was going and liked it so I came," Jacob Hanson, 11, said. Turns out, he likes it too. He said his favorite part of the Boys and Girls Club is gym time (dodgeball especially) and Tahnee. He gets to see friends from other schools — Roosevelt and Rossman and Holy Rosary kids come — that he normally wouldn't, which is also a bonus of going to the club. Gracie Kuehl, 9, has been going to the club for four years, and she came with friends as well. "My friends went here and though it was pretty cool," she said. She lists sledding and playing outside as her favorite parts of her time at the club, and "I like to go in the gym a lot. There's a lot of fun things to do here." Dylan Strawsell, 7, has been attending for three years and started coming after his brother had joined and liked it. "There's a lot of stuff to do," he said. He too noted that the gym was his favorite place to hang out and play with friends. "I think it's a great asset to our community," Gag said. "I strongly encourage other parents to bring their kids whenever I get a chance. Our kids just love going there, and they take such good care of the kids. It's a great thing to have for an after school program." "It's a safe place for kids, they're not bored," Moe said of the club. "It gives them something to do," Hansen agreed. "They're not sitting home alone." Moe said when at the end of the day, a parent has to practically drag their kids out of the club, "we're doing our job. They're cared for. They love coming here." This is the second in a series on the Boys and Girls Club of Detroit Lakes. Tags: news This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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