The Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado is hosting a membership drive this coming week, where students ages six to 12 can attend the club for free.
This is the first time the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado has offered this opportunity, which will begin Monday and last through Friday.
“We’re just asking the community if your child does not attend the club to come check us out for a week for free,” said Deneisa Jamerson, director of operations.
Jamerson said the membership drive gives the students access to the club for a week so they can try it out and see if they like it.
“We know once they get here, they are going to love it and they’re going to become members after that and help us in our mission of serving as many kids possible in the best way possible,” Jamerson added.
Jamerson said the mission drive is a recruitment strategy to grow their numbers for their youth and teen centers.
Jamerson said their average daily attendance for the youth center is about 102, while their average daily attendance for the teen center is 21. Jamerson added that with Barton Junior High School alone’s population being over 500, “there’s a lot of kids we’re not reaching.”
During the week, students who have passes for the Boys & Girls Club must provide them, with their parent’s signature, to get on the bus from school. Once arriving at the club, the students will be fed a hot meal, receive help with their homework and have a chance to indulge in activities with their friends from school.
The students currently members at the club passed out tickets to their classmates at school last week to help spread the word of the drive. Jamerson said each student who gets five or more kids that come during the week will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to a store of their choice.
The parents who’s children participate in the week will be responsible for picking their child up from the Boys & Girls Club each day, which closes at 6 p.m.
Jamerson said the club offers STEM activities for the students, and that they are constantly working on creative projects. They also have the gym, where the students can partake in recreational actives and they provide after school homework help and tutoring, if needed.
The club also offers other classes including choir and arts and crafts. Currently, the arts and crafts teacher is in the process of putting together a collection of canvas prints to put on display at the South Arkansas Arts Center from Dec. 10-14. Jamerson added that the prints will be for sale after the show, with all proceeds going towards the art program at the club.
If a parent is interested in their child visiting the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado during the week for free, they can stop by the club, get a ticket and fill it out.
The Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado is located at 1201 N. West Avenue. Their phone number is 870-863-8753. For more information on the club, visit their website at eldoradokids.org.
Kaitlyn Rigdon can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].