“I’d like people to know the impact we make. We help thousands,” here he paused, “we help thousands of children a year. The support means everything to us being able to continue our mission.”
John Perez is the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Kingsville, Texas and approaches his job with a passion for the children he serves and the broader community as a whole.
“The Kingsville Boys and Girls Club has been serving the community since 1965,” Perez told me recently, “and we’re very proud of that. We’ve had a number of adults come to us that were once children we served in the past.” He continued, “Eleven years ago, a man came to visit us. He was a Club kid when he was young. He has been sending us supplies every year since. We change lives here, we make a difference.”
What the Boys & Girls Clubs Do
The Boys & Girls Club in Kingsville has an umbrella program called, “Project Learn” comprised of three main programs: Education, Life Skills, and a Healthy Lifestyle.
“Being in a rural area,” Perez told me, “we get kids aged six to eighteen, and there is a large low income population in this area. Many of our kids come from a single parent, low income home and we’re able to provide these kids with a positive, safe atmosphere to learn and grow.”
Mr. Perez went on to explain the Boys and Girls Clubs covers a wide range of things kids need to thrive. When kids come in after school with their homework, they all participate in a “Power Hour” to get their work done, and then everyone plays a game that stimulates learning after.
Beyond that, children are also taught skills for life such as money management, how to iron their clothes, personal hygiene, and more.
They also learn about healthy food choices, the importance of physical activity and how to say no in stressful situations involving drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
Community Support- and the bottom line, both fiscal and civic
As we talked about how the organization stays afloat, he was at once serious and appreciative as he told me, “Here’s the bottom line: Without organizations like Pattern Energy and others supporting us financially, we couldn’t have the impact that we do, and make a big impact.
I’d like people to know the impact we make. We help thousands,” here he paused, “we help thousands of children a year. The support means everything to us being able to continue our mission.”