I am excited about the future for our children with the announcement of the new Boys & Girls Club location in Lewisville.
Under the direction of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, the club will be at 195 W. Corporate Drive in a former Lewisville fire station, thanks to a partnership with the City of Lewisville as well as a $3 million donation from Denton County, using some of the remaining portions of our American Rescue Plan Act funds appropriated in 2021.
This permanent club will allow for low-cost after school and summer programs for our Denton County children and youth as well as workforce development, life-skill building and other critical resources.
These services are greatly needed as 5.9 percent of our youth in Denton County are living at or below the federal poverty level, according to 2023 U.S. Census Data. In addition, of our 11 school districts, an estimated 40.5 percent of the students are considered at risk, which is a strikingly large number.
That is why I strongly supported bringing a Boys & Girls Club back to Denton County in such a way that it could grow to serve students in need. Since 2021, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County has invested more than $705,000 in bringing services to our county through mobile and school-based services. A Mobile Clubhouse brings tailored educational and enrichment activities to children and teens at apartment complexes, mobile home parks, community events, schools and other locales.
And, last year, the organization piloted a robotics program at four Denton ISD schools.
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to tour the clubs across Tarrant County where students were involved in everything from after-school studies to team building through sports to art and even music. In fact, I enjoyed a moment of fun in the music studio equipped with musical instruments including a complete drum set.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tarrant County also has a state-of-the-art food system where they prepare fresh meals and “flash freeze” the meals to ensure full nutrition and flavor are preserved as they send the meals across the county to feed their students. The meals looked delicious even though they were frozen.
Several of the students, more than you might think, return to the clubs they once attended to serve as mentors and leaders for the generations that follow. This is the kind of future I hope for in Denton County, starting with this location in Lewisville.
All our children deserve the opportunities to learn and grow, regardless of income levels. And a program like this equals the field for all to achieve and become our future leaders.
Connect With Us: Be sure and connect with Denton County on Facebook at facebook.com/DentonCountyTX and on Twitter @DentonCountyTX. You can also follow me at facebook.com/DentonCountyCommissionerBobbieMitchell. If you have any questions or comments, please let me hear from you. My email is [email protected] and my office number is 972-434-4780.
