ANAHEIM : Boys and Girls Club Opens at Lincoln

Dozens of children who live in the downtown Anaheim area now have a new place to spend their after-school hours.

After a year without a home, on Monday the Anaheim Boys and Girls Club opened the doors of its new center at Abraham Lincoln School. Last year, a shortage of space forced the club to move from Patrick Henry School, said Mike Sofia, the center’s executive director.

For $1 a year, youths ages 6 to 18 can spend afternoons at the center, which is housed in a trailer at the northeastern corner of the school lot. About 50 children signed up to participate in center activities, and a few dozen were there for opening day.

Marcelo Peralta, a counselor and part-time teacher’s aide at Lincoln School, plans to organize sports games for the students. In addition, a volunteer arts and crafts instructor will be on hand a few days a week. Each day, at least two counselors will staff the center.

Sofia said the club is not a day care center, but simply a place for children who want something to do after school. The center is open weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and will also be open mornings during summer.

Many students come from single-parent homes or homes where both parents are working, he said. “At least we’ll be able to help them occupy their time,” Sofia said. “This is our way of reacting to gang prevention and drug abuse” among schoolchildren.

Drew Ausems, 10, tried his hand at pool and Ping-Pong on opening day. He said he lives in the neighborhood and decided to give the club a try.

Drew said he and his friends usually just “go home and watch TV.” The center seemed like a good place to go because “we get to play with lots of stuff,” he said.