Nine Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis high school sites will close at the end of the current school year. Officials said this is a result of American Rescue Plan Act funds running out.
Club officials sai they were awarded $9 million in federal funding from the City of Memphis in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.With these funds, the nonprofit was able to open 10 high school club sites.
While the funds ran out in October 2024, the organization made the decision to continue funding these sites through the current school year.
On May 24 the sites at Booker T. Washington, Hamilton, Raleigh Egypt, Ridgeway, Sheffield, Trezevant, Westwood, and Woodale will close. These sites focused on workforce development and job readiness. This consisted of interview and application prep, workplace visits, and opportunities to become certified in welding, culinary arts, and forklift operation.
“This is the hardest news we’ve had to share,” Gwendolyn Woods, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, said. “It’s particularly difficult, because some of these schools are in high-crime areas, and business owners around the sites told us crime started to fall when we gave the high schoolers positive things to do after school.”
Woods has been with the organization for 10 years, starting as a club director and working with kids directly. She said they always wanted to expand their programs – providing a safe place for students to go after school.
“We all know most violent crimes happen after school hours,” Woods said. “3,500 kids had access to our programs after school. This gave the schools[and] parents peace.”
The organization reported that 100 percent of high school seniors in their programs graduate with future plans in mind including going to college, getting a job, or enlisting in the military. They also said 57 percent of alumni said “the club saved their life.”
Seeing the importance of these programs is what encouraged the club to keep operating these sites after the funds ran out. She said the organization still worked to provide funds by talking to different community leaders, however she noted it costs $2.1 million to run the 10 branches alone.
Woods said it was a hard decision, especially since she served as COO when these clubs first opened, where she was tasked with hiring “passionate” staff members. This announcement will impact 49 employees.
The nonprofit is still working to serve the students who were members at one of the sites, and are looking to provide transportation to their “traditional” sites. They have also added a program specialist role, where a staff member will facilitate Boys and Girl Club activities inside the affected high schools.
“If somebody wants to fund these programs then we feel like at short notice, we can build them back up again,” Woods said. “Right now we have to work with what we have, and we plan to focus on our traditional sites.”
After the closure, 11 sites will be open including two high school sites located at Craigmont and Melrose
Woods said they are also working on recruitment, marketing, and fundraising. Through fundraising, they are able to offer memberships for $10, with scholarship options available.
“Right now we have a grant team and a development team that are really working from sun up to sun down to secure funds for the organization and the work that we do,” Woods said.