A Friend of the Kids

In taking over the executive directorship of the Boys and Girls Club of Stanton last week, Pam Schoonover knew that she had big shoes to fill. The former director, Neil Hopkins, is well respected in Stanton and had served as the executive director for 15 years.

But Schoonover is no stranger to Stanton, the Boys and Girls Club or working with children. Over the past 23 years she has volunteered and worked part time and full time with children. For 11 years she has worked at the Boys and Girls Club, serving as the arts and crafts director, the learning center director and the development director.

It’s still a big leap. As executive director, Schoonover will be responsible for fund-raising, overseeing the organization’s $300,000 annual budget and working with the staff and the board of directors.

She says she wants to continue the successful programs already in place, from the youth choir and the sports programs to the day-to-day activities that keep 100 or more children occupied after school.

Schoonover also has ambitions of her own for the Boys and Girls Club. She says the organization does very well for kids, but “when they get up into the seventh, eighth grades, they start dropping off,” she said.

Thus, she’d like to see a separate room built for teenagers, where they can hang out with their peers, do their homework and just have their own space.

Schoonover’s chosen line of work stems from a love of and dedication to children.

She said she likes all kids, even the so-called problem kids, because “there’s usually a reason why kids act up. It’s usually because they’re trying to hide things that are more serious.” Success with kids, she said, comes from learning to listen.

Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-5988.