NORFOLK, Va. — Children and teens in Norfolk can spend time at two new Boys & Girls Clubs.
The clubs opened at the start of the month in areas where residents have voiced concerns about rising crime rates: Norfolk’s Young Terrace and Grandy Village communities.
They provide a safe, after-school space for children and teens.
Kevin Will, who is president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Virginia, said his team partnered with Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority to move into two underutilized rec centers.
But it’s more than just arts and sports; the clubs provide critical programs that help prepare children and teens for their future careers, college studies, and life.
“Kids have fun there and they’re safe there but we’re so much more than that,” Will said. “We have programs that centered around either their academic success, good character, and leadership, or healthy lifestyles. 100% of our kids graduate from high school. But more important than that, we want to make sure they’re either ready to go onto a good career and not a job or are going onto post-secondary education and fulfilling their dreams to do whatever they want to do.”
As gun violence rises in Norfolk, anti-crime activists previously called for city and community leaders to address crime at its root and increase funding for student programs and creative outlets like rec centers.
Head of the Norfolk-based anti-crime group Stop The Violence, Bilal Muhammad noted the Young Terrace and Grandy communities are two areas where crime is a concern for people. He said he welcomes the new Boys & Girls Clubs because getting kids into a safe place where they can be productive can transform communities.
“It pulls them away from a bad environment into a better, productive, secured environment," Muhammad said. “We hear about it all the time communicating with the residents in Youngs Terrace and also in Grandy Village: ‘What can we do? What is the city going to do about this? What other institutions are coming into our community?’ Well, we applaud the Boys & Girls Club. We must put a stronger handhold into these communities to reduce the crime, to reduce the guns.”
Will said the clubs work to strengthen communities by reaching out to children.
“A place for kids to go and more importantly grow through programming, academics, really getting them everything they need to succeed in life," he said. “To have some structure in their downtime when they’re not in school and to get everything that they need whether that’s help with their academics or it’s just a safe place to have a mentor to talk about anything they’re dealing with – mental health, anything they’re dealing with at school.”
Each new club can accommodate around 75 children each and officials say they’re almost at capacity.
To sign your child or teen up for the Boys and Girls Club, you’re asked to contact the specific Club directly. You can find a club near you and find more information about the program at bgcseva.org.