The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Winnemucca is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. To achieve this mission, the Boys & Girls Club offers youth, ages 6-18, a safe place to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals, life-enhancing programs and character development experiences. The vision for the Boys & Girls Club of Winnemucca began in 2013. With a population of just over 8,000, the rural community had very limited options for quality youth services during out of school time. As a result, a group of citizens came together to discuss ways to bring community service programs and facilities to the area. This group became the Winnemucca Community Improvement Group. The group explored a number of options and conducted a community needs assessment. The results were clear: 91.8% of respondents were in support of the project. With support from Humboldt County, the City of Winnemucca, the Humboldt County School District, key leaders and the community as a whole, the Winnemucca Community Improvement Group proceeded with plans to develop a 43-acre property into a community recreation complex. The complex will include six new soccer/multi-purpose fields, a fitness center and other amenities, along with 4.2 acres designated for the Boys & Girls Club of Winnemucca. The property sits adjacent to the northern boundary of Lowry High School and the west side of the recently completed Great Basin Avenue. The project is broken into multiple phases. Phase I, which includes land acquisition, land development, infrastructure and an outdoor recreation complex, is scheduled to be complete by mid-2015. Phase II includes the construction of the Boys & Girls Club facility, plus establishment of a maintenance reserve fund and initial operating expenses for the Club. We expect to break ground on the facility in November 2015 and complete construction by early 2017. To date, $6,723,000 has been raised toward the $7,615,000 Boys & Girls Club facility goal, and fundraising for the project continues to move forward. When complete, this property will provide a centralized location for all out-of-school time youth activities and sports. The priority will be to serve young people, particularly those from the Boys & Girls Club. At the same time, the property will also provide resources and amenities for the entire Winnemucca community. At approximately 30,000 square feet, the Boys & Girls Club of Winnemucca Facility will have ample space for programming and activities. While the facility’s first priority is to serve the members of the Boys & Girls Club, it will also provide space and resources for a wide variety of community needs and activities. Key facility features include:
Youth & Teen Centers: The facility will house separate areas for youth (ages 6-12) and teen (ages 13-18) members. Keeping these age groups separate is a Boys & Girls Club best practice, both for member safety and to provide age-appropriate programming for all young people. Each center will have a recreation room that will include group games like ping pong, pool and foosball. Additionally, the centers will have a STEM/education center where members can work on homework and receive tutoring. The centers will also each have an art room and additional classroom space for a variety of classes and activities. Kitchen: The Boys & Girls Club will serve youth from all six Winnemucca schools, including two Title 1 schools (Winnemucca Grammar School and Sonoma Heights Elementary School). Additionally, with the unique work schedules of parents in the mining industry, many Club members will be arriving at the Club early in the morning and leaving late into the evening. Together, these circumstances demand a high quality food program. To this end, the Boys & Girls Club of Winnemucca will become a registered federal feeding site, meaning any child up to age 18 can receive a free meal at the Club during regular meal times. Only one other federal feeding site currently operates in Humboldt County, making this an especially important addition to the Club. Children will be able to eat hot, nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout the year at no charge, providing an important service to children and giving parents peace of mind. Gymnasium: The facility’s large gym will be able to support any number of youth sports, fitness and recreation activities. From basketball leagues to indoor soccer competitions to free play time, the gym will be one of the most used areas in the facility. In addition to use by Club members and activities, the gym will also be available for rent to other community sports and recreation groups. Our objective is to create an all-in-one location for all youth sports activities in Winnemucca. Multipurpose Room/Cafeteria: This large space will serve several important purposes. It will be a cafeteria for use during meal times, a secondary homework area for youth needing some extra assistance, and a space for larger games or activities that require some extra space. In addition to its use for youth during Club hours, it will also be available for rentals during evenings and weekends for community groups. The room will be equipped with audio and video sound equipment, making it an ideal space for presentations and lunches. Plus, the Club’s kitchen will be available to cater these events, providing another revenue stream from facility rentals. Fitness Center: In addition to all the great resources for young people, the Boys & Girls Club will also be home to a state-of-the-art fitness center. The center will not only be available for use by Club members (under staff supervision) but will also be open to the general public, providing quality machines, classes and even babysitting for fitness center members. Fitness center fees will go back to the Boys & Girls Club as an additional revenue source. The building will have a singular entrance, but from the front lobby, the fitness center will have its own entrance separate from the Club to provide an extra layer of security for our youth.
