It was announced today by Peggy Braxton, Chief Volunteer Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of El Camino Real, that after 29 years of service to youth, the Boys & Girls Club will close their doors effective January 1, 2019. Braxton stated that the organization was closing due to growing costs of running an organization.
Braxton stated that thousands of children have participated in the Boys & Girls Club since its inception in 1989 and have benefited from programs such as homework help classes, field trips, drug prevention classes, character development and more. Braxton also expressed deepest appreciation to all , but especially to Calvin Braxton and Natchitoches Ford, Alliance Compressors, City of Natchitoches, Roy O’Martin, NSU, Coach McConathy, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Cane River Charities, Cane River Meat Pie Festival and many, many more donors and volunteers that have helped the organization throughout the years.
Peggy stated that she hopes that the future holds an opportunity for a Boys & Girls Club to be re-established in Natchitoches as the children and families certainly deserve the opportunities a Boys & Girls Club program can provide.
So I have a question for everyone on here lamenting the closing of The Boys and Girls Club, did any of you donate real time and money to the effort or did you just sit back and let others do it? Natchitoches has a long history of just a few benefactors and the rest just going along for the free ride so I’m just curious.
You’re right. I didn’t give my time (can’t really give $), but I meant to. Hey, that could be my New Year’s resolution! Anybody else going to join me?
We have to save this program! Tell us how!
On the heels of so many homicide, this is the most devastating and tragic announcement!!!
To so. While teaching at Parks I saw the positive influence the Boys and Girls Club had on children.
Sad to see this and to read about it on the same page as more shootings and drugs in our city.
Please explain how it has helped? Since it was established in 1989, drugs,theft and homicide rate has been on a continuous increase. The parents need to start being parents!
Rob, please give your response some significant thought. Do you really think there’s been zero positive influence from the Club? No reasonable person expected this program to be a panacea for all the ills of society, but it was at least in the fight. Were you helping in any way?
Some transparency into why the costs have grown so out of the control might prove helpful. Also, did the board of directors and employees have the talent and skills to guide the organization into the right waters? Did they reach out to persons for help in operational excellence while doing fundraising? There are successfull programs out there all over the country. Did we seek out and adopt their best practices?
Ron,
Right on with your sensible thoughts and observations. Hate and negativity are the elements that destroy and block successes of programs that are intended to help the less fortunate and those unable to help themselves. Boys and Girls Clubs in the Natchitoches community and throughout America has helped many, many people become the leading citizens that they are today. So called “conservative” leadership throughout our State and Natchitoches Parish has done more harm than help by cutting funding, eliminating support from elected officials, and taking the focus off the needy and programs designed to help people who need it the most. It’s the “all about me” syndrome rather than loving and caring about our neighbors and others that is constantly tearing away the fabric of compassion and caring of our fellow human beings. A change of attitude and heart is the directions we as a people need to be going in. Letting Boys and Girls Club in Natchitoches (it is successful in other places in Louisiana) fail is a shame and sad, sad day for Natchitoches, Louisiana.
So sad ! this organization helps so many kids.