BUENA PARK : Boys and Girls Club Seeks Corporate Aid
The Boys and Girls Club, which has been troubled by dwindling funds, has decided to turn to local corporations for help.
Last month, the club launched a corporate campaign to raise $50,000 for the 39-year-old organization.
“The facility is in major need of renovations,” said Executive Director Jean Morgan, who took over in January.
Greg Soward is campaign chairman. Money received from corporations will be used to upgrade the building, Morgan said. The facility on Knott Avenue recently received a fresh coat of paint, windows and a new roof. But much more needs to be done, he said.
Club officials hope to have the bathrooms remodeled by June and also reinstitute some previously canceled programs. A special wood-shop class for the handicapped, a victim of the budget crunch, is scheduled to start within the month.
Besides physical repairs to the dilapidated building, several internal changes have occurred at the club. Two executive directors have come and gone. And under pressure from mounting protests, the board of directors rescinded a decision to terminate Bob Eastland, a popular and longtime employee.
The club also merged with the local girls’ organization and now has a membership of about 600. This is expected to swell to more than 1,000 by summer.
Along with the corporate fund-raising drive, $12,000 has already been raised in individual pledges, putting the club closer to its $165,000 goal.
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