July 26, 2007

A Place to Call Home

Story and Photos by Tara Bui

WESTMINSTER, Calif. —When kids need a safe place while parents are at work, the Boys & Girls Club is there.

When kids who don’t have a home need a place to feel like home, the Boys & Girls Club is there.

When kids — of any background, of any ethnicity †need a haven to find a friend, they turn to the Boys & Girls Club.

Just as they have here for the past 51 years.

Through the decades since its opening in 1956, the Boys & Girls Club of Westminster has seen the faces changes. What once was a Caucasian membership now reflects its surroundings, with more Asian American — many of them Vietnamese — and Hispanic children on the roster. And to Tish Murry, the director, the more the merrier.

'The neighborhood has changed,' Murry said. 'But you don’t see Hispanic, African American, Asian kids. They’re all just kids. Even though some schools may have a majority of one or another, we pull kids from so many different schools that it doesn’t matter. Our kids really learn from a young age to be tolerant of other cultures.'

Boys & Girls Clubs of America dates back to 1860, when several women in Hartford, Conn., organized a group to give boys who roamed the streets a positive place to go, according to the organization’s history. By 1906, a collection of similar clubs that had sprung up decided to partner and laid the foundation for what eventually would be known as the Boys & Girls Clubs. Girls were admitted beginning in 1990.

Today, there are more than 4,000 club locations and 4.8 million members nationwide.

And there’s no doubt that the Westminster club is one of the shining stars. Two years ago, the group received the first-ever National Street Smart Award — presented by The Allstate Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America †in recognition of its gang-prevention program.

Walk into the entrance of the organization at 14400 Chestnut St. and you’ll see immediately how such a spot can make a difference in the life of a child.

It was 2 p.m. on a day before school let out for the summer, and staff members at the Boys & Girls Club of Westminster braced themselves for the inevitable onslaught of kids rushing through the double doors. By 2:30, the walls were lined with dozens of backpacks, and every activity area packed with youngsters eager to reunite with friends. A melody on the loudspeaker rounded them to the gym, where homework times would start promptly at 2:45. At 4, notebooks were put away as a banquet of yogurt, milk, granola bars, string cheese, carrots and peanut butter was spread out.

A snack is served every day for as many as 200 hungry kids. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America nationally works with youths of all school age but 77 percent of them are between 7 and 15.

Murry studied sports medicine at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., and started at age 22 as a Boys & Girls Club volunteer. Now beginning her 20th year with the organization, she is a pro at working with masses of children and is a direct witness to the club’s expansion of programs geared to meet a diversity of needs — from simple antics like Crazy Hair Day and Pajama Day to basketball tournaments to enrichment programs for art, music and dance.

For the teenagers and adolescents, there are leadership clubs and a program designed to teach educational goals and financial literacy.

'The biggest thing is being in a career where you can have an impact on the next generation,' Murry said. 'I’ve gone to their weddings and baby showers. I’ve heard them say, ‘If it wasn’t for the Boys & Girls Club, I probably wouldn’t have even graduated high school; I probably would have joined a gang.’'

Kim ?òan, the club’s school-site director of operations, can relate. A recent graduate of Cal State Fullerton with a degree in child and adolescent studies, she has seen the effect the organization can have in her short time working there.

'The best part about my job is having the power to change kids’ lives, and I mean that literally,' ?òan says.

'During the last school year, we had to make the difficult decision of whether or not to expel a member from the program. He cried and begged me to keep him because he did not want to go home. There was no one at home who cares as much as the staff at the Boys & Girls Club.

'Our program has a very unique philosophy on serving kids. We carry through to every individual, especially the ones that need us most.'

During the year, kids of all ages can participate in a reading incentive program where they can earn 'club bucks' based on how much reading they do and the level of difficulty of the material. They then get to use this currency to go shopping in the Boys & Girls Club Store, which offers a cornucopia of kid delights like MP3 players and Barbie dolls.

This summer, the local theme is 'cruise across America.' Each week is focused on a special state. The California week features a big trip to the movies, a little trip to the Orange County Fair, and a talent show. The Texas week features a western dress-up day, a big trip to Knott’s Berry Farm, and a hoe-down. During the summer, the Club is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The kids who spend their days at the Boys & Girls Club of Westminster come from a variety of backgrounds: Hispanic, Caucasian, Eastern European, African American and Asian American. Even the population of Asian American kids is diverse, with many of either Chinese, Vietnamese or Cambodian descent. (The clubs always have had a diverse membership, considering its past members: Comedian Bill Cosby. New York Yankees Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Actors Brad Pitt and Denzel Washington. Superstar Michael Jordan. Even President Bill Clinton.)

'For the past few years, there has been Vietnamese staff introduced to the agency,' ?òan said. And so 'activities that introduce Vietnamese culture are added onto many programs at the club. Now that we serve a larger population of Vietnamese students, culture-related programs will be a major part of our curriculum.'

As will English, she said.

'If they go home, they will speak their native language, which is often Vietnamese in our case. If they come here for the summer, they will speak English everyday, and will be better off for the coming school year. Even during the school year when they speak English for half the day, they can still come here and get four more hours of English daily.'

For their part, youngsters seemed happy to be there.

'I like playing all the sports, like soccer and dodge ball,' said Lý Nguy?n, 7. 'I’m almost good at soccer now…I’d rather be here because of the friends and sports.'

Javier Sanchez, 9, said he likes making friends and visiting the Learning Center, where he is discovering a new interest in chapter books. Earlier, he participated in a pool tournament at the Manor Seniors Center, where he was teamed up with a senior named Chuck.

'Chuck looked like my grandpa. We beat Abraham, and lost to Oscar and Sylvia. But that’s OK because we got to eat pizza and dark chocolate' candy.

Membership is $25 for the entire school year and $55 a week during the summer. In special circumstances, discounted rates and waivers are granted because the main goal is to build relationships with the kids and with their families. The club tries to create a community within a community. It even throws an occasional potluck where everyone gets a chance to mingle. Headsets used to translate English are offered to whoever needs them, as well.

'We greet every kid by name, include their parents in meetings, and see them everyday,' Murry said.

'We really let them understand that this is their building.'