GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As part of FOX 17’s A Path Forward initiative, Janice Allen spoke with Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids’ Don Ward on Monday, to talk about what the organization is doing to help local youth. Ward is the organization’s behavior and program specialist.
According to Ward, there has been a lot of angst among the youth that the organization works with. There can be multiple causes for the kids’ stress, including academic and social.
“And you can see there’s a frustration because a lot of them don’t know how, or what outlet they have, which is why we like to be a beacon for them to be safe, a safe haven, and, you know, tending to the whole child,” said Ward. “Because it’s sometimes, it’s not anything to do with schools, not anything to do with home.”
Ward says that the Boys and Girls Club is here to walk alongside the youth, and help them know that there are people who care.
“And over that time, you begin building relationships, and they start coming to you with things that they don’t feel comfortable coming, you know, with someone else,” said Ward. “And that’s really what we want to continuously have, that when you come in these doors, you are safe.”
One topic that the Boys and Girls Club has had to address recently is gun violence, especially after two recent incidents of elementary students in Grand Rapids bringing a gun to school. Ward says that the topic has been on the kids’ minds, whether in public or private conversations.
“In the end, they show how much they’re children, no matter what they try to do outside and grow up too fast, they have fears, and they’re worried about their peers, their loved ones, and so forth and so on,” said Ward. “So that is definitely a major topic that, especially in the last two weeks, that we have continued to address here at Club.”
Families who wish to get involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids can visit the Paul I. Phillips Club at 726 Madison Avenue Southeast. More information on the organization can be found on its website.
Check out our list of community resources available to help in West Michigan.