The Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland Celebrates its 70th Anniversary

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America is a charity that means something to people, and the Portland Chapter is no exception. It has a rich history, one that is celebrating 70 years of service to youth in the Portland Metro area. 

Let's take a look at the facts, and think about why the Boys and Girls Club matters. In Oregon, nearly 600,000 young people ages six to 18 go unsupervised after school. . The Portland Boys and Girls Clubs host an average of 6,000 kids a year in one of their five facilities or within their programs in partnership with two local school districts. 

Traci Rose, Chief Advancement Officer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland Metro talks about her experience working with the club.

"Boys and Girls Clubs locate in communities that need us most" says Rose. "We expose the children to a wide variety of computer programming, sports and fitness, the arts, and other horizon broadening experiences."

With its mission to serve youth that need them most, Portland Boys and Girls Club is in the middle of a $9 million dollar capital campaign, to build a new club in Gresham's Rockwood community. The Club's look to break ground on the facilities this summer with plans to open a new facility in time for 2017 summer programs.

The organization currently has an operating budget of about $5 million dollars and has a staff of just over 150 employees.

"We have an amazing staff with a strong heartbeat for this work," says Rose. "Everyone is very proud to say we've been doing this for 70 years." 

Want to get involved? Become a Member, Donate, or Volunteer with the Portland Boys and Girls Club today.