Located in the heart of Boston’s inner city, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD) has provided life-enhancing programs and opportunities to at-risk young people for nearly 50 years. Our after-school programming and Early Education & Care serves over 4,000 children of all abilities from two months to 18 years old annually. We offer over 200 programs that support academic success, healthy lifestyles, social-emotional development, and character and leadership skills. Youth pay just $5 in annual Club membership dues to participate.
We recently expanded our behavioral health services in response to the needs in our community. We provide on-site access to a behavioral health clinician where children and families can receive supportive counseling, crisis intervention and brief therapy as needed.
Additional highlights of our programming include:
· Through our Healthy Meals Program, we serve free, nutritious meals to more than 1,000 children annually. Our kitchen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner five days per week year-round.
· During July and August, our Safe Summer Streets Program brings over 300 at-risk teens into a safe, positive environment which offers job opportunities, drop-in activities, field trips, and free time with friends. We extend our operating hours until 9:00PM five nights per week and give participants a ride home at the end of the night.
· Project B.I.N.D (Boston Inclusion Network for Disabilities) is an agency-wide initiative to foster the inclusion of children of all abilities in Club programs.
· As part of our focus on strengthening families, empowering women and disrupting the cycle of poverty, BGCD established the LIFT (Lifting Individuals and Families Together) Program which assists families in reaching financial goals through meaningful coaching.
Last year’s Boston Marathon™ team and the funds they raised strengthened BGCD’s ability to respond to the changing needs of our community. This year’s team has the ability to make a HUGE impact during this pivotal time in our history. Please consider joining our team and helping us to raise critical funds for the youth and families that we serve.