Crane families soon to have access to Boys & Girls Club program
October 21, 2021
A group of community leaders, school staff, business owners, and Boys & Girls Club representatives gathered at Crane Elementary School on Thursday, October 14 for a ribbon cutting for the new site.
Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks Chief Operating Officer Stoney Hays speaks about the vision of the local program for the Crane community during the ribbon cutting event.
Kadee Brosseau DeCourley
Families in Crane will soon have a safe, educational place to send their children after school. The Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks is branching into the Crane community. It announced its new site last week at a ribbon-cutting event at Crane Elementary School.
“It was a dream come true. Back in February of 2019, a volunteer from the Crane Community, Leasa Brosseau, reached out to me, and she wanted to talk about creating a Boys & Girls Club. So, after many conversations, town hall forums, we were able to find some resources and, over the last five months, we have worked real hard to prepare for this day,” Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks Executive Director Stoney Hays said.
Brosseau and other volunteers and community members began to realize a need for an after-school program in Crane after hosting a one-day per week program at Crane First Baptist Church.
“Each Wednesday after school, kids came to our church. We ate dinner, helped them with their homework, sang songs, and played games. Most of all, we came to love these kids and their families. It was from that experience that we noticed there was a big need for a program not only one day per week, but each day of the week,” Brosseau said.
Through collaboration with community leaders, local pastors, and school administrators, the Crane site of the Boys & Girls Club will soon fill that need. The Crane site will serve children six through 12-years-old. Hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday 2:30 through 7 p.m. and Mondays 7:30 a.m. through 6 p.m. and will be held within the Crane School facilities.
“The School District has been involved in all these meetings, the principal Kelli Rogers and the superintendent Chris Johnson, and we are just so proud that they have seen the need in this community,” Hays said.
The purpose of the Boys & Girls Club is to support working families by providing a safe place that helps foster a sense of belonging, positive self-esteem, and accomplishment in all kids.
“There are limited services in this community. Our parents have to drive to work. So, after school a lot of times, the children are left alone. We know how dangerous that is in this day in time. So, having an after school program, having a Boys & Girls Club program enables this community to better themselves to ensure that their children have a bright future, that they’re focused on education,” Hays said.
The Crane location will also serve a hot meal each night of the program.
“One in five children are hungry,” Hays said. “So, each night we will serve a hot meal and they’ll have the chance to do their homework.”
While he says there is no doubt that the Boys & Girls Club will be beneficial to local children and their families, Hays reminds the community that it takes continued support from parents, local businesses, and the community as a whole to run a successful program.
“We have had a number of businesses invest in the local community. We are asking more to step up. We are also waiting on a big, huge grant through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It’s the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant. We have incorporated the Crane site within that proposal. When we receive notice on that, that will expedite us opening earlier,” Hays said. “It takes a public-private partnership. So, we will forever depend on the local community to support this effort, the parents to support this effort as well as foundations and corporations and small businesses across the community.”
The Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks has three other locations in Branson, Forsyth, and Reeds Spring. It is currently serving more than 1,600 youth, ages six through 18 at the current three sites. The organization is currently hiring staff at all locations, including Crane.
“We are really short-staffed. In our organization, we have about 60 full and part time staff. Currently, we are seeing about 10 vacancies at this point in time. We are working really hard to fill those vacancies. We are forever looking for staff. So, if you have an interest in working with children, please reach out to us. We are hopeful that we will identify staff in the local Crane community, perhaps a parent to be involved or a young college student,” Hays said.
Hays said both full and part time positions are available.
“What we are looking for in staffing is folks who have an interest in working with children. It could be a parent, it could be a young college student who is preparing for an education degree, leisure management degree, or recreation,” Hays said.
The Crane location of the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks is scheduled to open no later than January 1.
“We are just so happy that we are able to bring a community together on behalf of the children,” Hays said. “Thank you so much for investing on behalf of children.”
The Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks only charges $30 per school year. The Club will never turn a child away for their family’s inability to pay. In fact, the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks provided more than $25,000 in scholarships last year for families who could not pay the annual fees.
The cost of serving one child is $1,600 per year and the Club plans to serve 100 elementary age youth in Crane.
If you are willing and able to become a Club Angel and would like to invest in the future of our area’s children and the program in Crane, please call 417-335-2089, visit www.bgcozarks.org, or email shays@bgcozarks.org.
Families in Crane will soon have a safe, educational place to send their children after school. The Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks is branching into the Crane community. It announced its new site last week at a ribbon-cutting event at Crane Elementary School.
“It was a dream come true. Back in February of 2019, a volunteer from the Crane Community, Leasa Brosseau, reached out to me, and she wanted to talk about creating a Boys & Girls Club. So, after many conversations, town hall forums, we were able to find some resources and, over the last five months, we have worked real hard to prepare for this day,” Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks Executive Director Stoney Hays said.
Brosseau and other volunteers and community members began to realize a need for an after-school program in Crane after hosting a one-day per week program at Crane First Baptist Church.
“Each Wednesday after school, kids came to our church. We ate dinner, helped them with their homework, sang songs, and played games. Most of all, we came to love these kids and their families. It was from that experience that we noticed there was a big need for a program not only one day per week, but each day of the week,” Brosseau said.
Through collaboration with community leaders, local pastors, and school administrators, the Crane site of the Boys & Girls Club will soon fill that need. The Crane site will serve children six through 12-years-old. Hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday 2:30 through 7 p.m. and Mondays 7:30 a.m. through 6 p.m. and will be held within the Crane School facilities.
“The School District has been involved in all these meetings, the principal Kelli Rogers and the superintendent Chris Johnson, and we are just so proud that they have seen the need in this community,” Hays said.
The purpose of the Boys & Girls Club is to support working families by providing a safe place that helps foster a sense of belonging, positive self-esteem, and accomplishment in all kids.
“There are limited services in this community. Our parents have to drive to work. So, after school a lot of times, the children are left alone. We know how dangerous that is in this day in time. So, having an after school program, having a Boys & Girls Club program enables this community to better themselves to ensure that their children have a bright future, that they’re focused on education,” Hays said.
The Crane location will also serve a hot meal each night of the program.
“One in five children are hungry,” Hays said. “So, each night we will serve a hot meal and they’ll have the chance to do their homework.”
While he says there is no doubt that the Boys & Girls Club will be beneficial to local children and their families, Hays reminds the community that it takes continued support from parents, local businesses, and the community as a whole to run a successful program.
“We have had a number of businesses invest in the local community. We are asking more to step up. We are also waiting on a big, huge grant through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It’s the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant. We have incorporated the Crane site within that proposal. When we receive notice on that, that will expedite us opening earlier,” Hays said. “It takes a public-private partnership. So, we will forever depend on the local community to support this effort, the parents to support this effort as well as foundations and corporations and small businesses across the community.”
The Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks has three other locations in Branson, Forsyth, and Reeds Spring. It is currently serving more than 1,600 youth, ages six through 18 at the current three sites. The organization is currently hiring staff at all locations, including Crane.
“We are really short-staffed. In our organization, we have about 60 full and part time staff. Currently, we are seeing about 10 vacancies at this point in time. We are working really hard to fill those vacancies. We are forever looking for staff. So, if you have an interest in working with children, please reach out to us. We are hopeful that we will identify staff in the local Crane community, perhaps a parent to be involved or a young college student,” Hays said.
Hays said both full and part time positions are available.
“What we are looking for in staffing is folks who have an interest in working with children. It could be a parent, it could be a young college student who is preparing for an education degree, leisure management degree, or recreation,” Hays said.
The Crane location of the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks is scheduled to open no later than January 1.
“We are just so happy that we are able to bring a community together on behalf of the children,” Hays said. “Thank you so much for investing on behalf of children.”
The Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks only charges $30 per school year. The Club will never turn a child away for their family’s inability to pay. In fact, the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks provided more than $25,000 in scholarships last year for families who could not pay the annual fees.
The cost of serving one child is $1,600 per year and the Club plans to serve 100 elementary age youth in Crane.
If you are willing and able to become a Club Angel and would like to invest in the future of our area’s children and the program in Crane, please call 417-335-2089, visit www.bgcozarks.org, or email shays@bgcozarks.org.