The Boys and Girls club of Carroll County is an aftercare program for kids in elementary to high school. The club states their mission as a goal “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”
The Boys and Girls Clubs have numerous well-rounded programs available to kids including art, sports and recreation, education, leadership, and health related activities.
A large majority of the kids in the program (71%) are from low to moderate income households making it that much more crucial that they experience a wide variety of different activities that they may not otherwise have the chance to explore. These children could use as much support as possible while pursuing their interests and building an early foundation; and one way to do that is by McDaniel students getting involved with the program.
McDaniel students are important to the Boys and Girls club as they are younger and relatable role models to the children. Donating time or money, both provide value to the Boys and Girls Club and are meaningful ways to get involved.
Those short on time, can engage in one-time special volunteer events. One of these events was volunteering through Fall Serve over McDaniel’s fall break.Volunteering for events through McDaniel can teach students about the importance that small interactions and acts of care can have on young children.There are more types of these events in need of volunteers coming up after after fall serve .
Upcoming special events include a Thanksgiving Feast on November 16th and a McDaniel Holiday Party on November 27th (Transportation provided for students for this event). There are other opportunities through fall serve including during Thanksgiving break as well. For more information, McDaniel students can visit the CEO office on the middle level of the ROJ Student Center.
In addition to aftercare programs during the school year, the Boys and Girls club of Carroll County offers a ten-week summer camp program. Starting from the week of June 20th and ending August 25th, each week holds a different theme and corresponding field trip. For instance, the second week of the camp from June 26th to June 30th is Animal week which is followed by a trip to the zoo. The Boys’ and Girls Club also works with the McDaniel athletic department in organizing sporting activities for the children during the course of the year. This past summer the Boys and Girls Club hosted a football training activity open to the entire camp with players from the McDaniel football team.
A full list of information regarding the summer camp programs, and schedule can be found here: https://bgccarrollcounty.org/summer-camp/ . If McDaniel students need a summer job or just want to make a difference in the local community, they can apply for a position in the summer camp.
If a student has more time or it makes more sense for them to volunteer during the school year, they can start doing so consistently by setting aside a minimum of just an hour per week.
This can make a huge difference and provide a stable relationship and mentor for the young participants. Josiah Yung, a freshman here at McDaniel, works regularly at the Boys and Girls club on Main Street. Yung explains, “I’ve always wanted to work at an aftercare program and the best thing about it is how welcoming it is.”
Those able to make a weekly commitment like Yung does, would need to be able to make this commitment for a minimum of 12 weeks. Getting involved by donating money is another valuable resource to help the Boys and Girls Club. This contribution can be done directly on the website where the person donating can designate the donations for a desired program at www.bgccarrollcounty.org.
