The Shane Victorino Boys and Girls Club, located at 4000 N. Clarissa St., provides children and teenagers with a safe place where they can enjoy sports and other recreational activities with their friends.
“Boys and Girls clubs in general were actually created around the time of the Civil War and it was started by a group of young women concerned about the 17 and 18-year-old men working in the mines. They were concerned that they didn’t have a place to go,” Executive Program Officer Libby Lescalleet said. “They were always designed to be in a place where kids need you the most.”
Joe White, an 18-year-old senior at Simon Gratz High School, has been going to the Boys and Girls Club for over a year. “It is something to do instead of being home all of the time. My best friend and I come after school, we always come together to play basketball.”
While the Boys and Girls club is an important aspect of the Nicetown community, Lescalleet also said she wants to make sure no one is ever turned away because of their financial status. “At this location, it’s one-time $5 fee and it covers from the date you sign up until it expires at the end of August,” Lescalleet said. “We want to make sure that the cost never prohibits anybody from participating in programs.”
Aside from the sports and recreation side of the Boys and Girls Club, the club also provides a homework power hour for anyone who may need a little extra help.
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