Boys & Girls Clubs looks forward to full summer of activities

Jun. 20—Following the "CDC Summer" of 2020, the Boys & Girls Clubs Serving Chattooga, Gordon, Murray and Whitfield Counties is "running at full capacity" for its programs this summer, according to its chief executive officer.

CDC is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have made it through COVID-19, and we learned a lot about ourselves (and) how we can (best) serve kids," Robbie Slocumb told the Kiwanis Club of Dalton recently during a meeting at the Dalton Convention Center. "We have (more than) 500 youth registered" for summer endeavors, and "what we do does make a difference in our community."

This summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs' Dalton location on Underwood Street is hosting an academic boost for Dalton Public Schools' rising sixth- to ninth-graders Monday-Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. A partnership with Dalton Public Schools, it runs until July 23.

"We're trying to fill the void" of students who had their education disrupted the past year-plus due to the pandemic, Slocumb said. "We hope to get them over the hump (so they're) not left behind."

This fits with the organization's recent emphasis on helping students read at grade level by grade three, he said. "If you don't have that (foundation), you're not going to be able to do the next stage of" school and life.

The organization has libraries at all club sites, and also provides work and leadership opportunities for youth as they age, Slocumb said. Helping students graduate high school on schedule is also a focus for the organization, as those who fail to finish high school are less employable, and may resort to illegal ways of earning income.

"Our goal is to (reach) them before they end up" in jail, he said. "We need local people who support what we do because we support (local)."

The organization is partnering with the Whitfield County Recreation Department for summer programming at Edwards Park, "and we have about 65-75 kids there," he said. Several students will also be able to attend Junior Achievement's Biz Town June 21-25 at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center of Greater Dalton, where they'll hear from Bob Mackey — who recently appeared on the ABC series "Shark Tank" with his co-inventor, Michael Green, of the YONO Clip, a suction-based hook — among others.

In the early days of the pandemic last spring, the organization's staff worked remotely, but they still managed to communicate regularly with youth members, Slocumb said. "A lot changed, but our staff (did) a phenomenal job."

In May 2020, "we learned we could" have a summer program, which opened June 1, 2020, with smaller groups and child-to-staff ratios, he said. There were no field trips or parents allowed inside buildings, temperatures were checked multiple times each day, masks were worn and social distance was observed.

Due to the pandemic, "last year was crazy for all of us," but the organization managed to serve more than 5,000 meals to youth, and not one case of COVID-19 was recorded among youth at the clubs, said David Renz, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Dalton who is also deeply involved with the organization. "Parents were more appreciative than they've ever been," too, that their children had an outlet after months of virtual lockdown.

"It got kids back to normal," Slocumb said. It also "gave them a sense of safety."

Safety is paramount to the organization, which is why "we're installing cameras at every location," he said. Dalton's Carl Rollins unit recently received "new doors, Wi-Fi and security cameras."

Moving forward, Slocumb plans to maintain the "open door policy" for law enforcement at club buildings, he said. Any officer can drop by to talk to students, as "we want to get that relationship between (them) to grow even further," so instead of being afraid of law enforcement officers, students see them as partners and possibly consider careers in law enforcement.

When the 2020-21 academic year began with local students learning virtually for some or all days of school, "we opened up several of our locations as virtual ports" where students enjoyed internet access for assignments, he said. "It was a unique experience."

This chapter has more than 2,000 members, and "we pick up at 14 different school sites" in Whitfield County alone, he said. "It's a lot of mentoring them, encouraging them, and giving them paths they can go."

Nothing makes Slocumb happier than seeing former members — the organization serves youth from kindergarten to age 18 — return to give back, which happens regularly, he said.

"This is a family, (so) it's so cool to see them come back as they grow up."