Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke Inc

“I’m the first high school graduate in my family,” is how Saul began his talk with our board of directors.  He drove to the meeting from Westfield State where he is now a sophomore who plans to major in criminal justice and social work. 

As Saul continued with stories from his upbringing, we all sat transfixed.  Thankfully, he “found the Club where I was able to hang out with new friends, get my work done, and learn what I wanted for my future.”

Each day at the Boys & Girls Club of Holyoke we serve hundreds of children just like Saul, with our diverse and exceptional programming.  At our main club facility on Nick Cosmos Way, and at our four satellite locations in public housing complexes across the city, children participate in activities that impact their daily lives and also allow them to not only glimpse the possibilities for the future, but actually
experience them. 

Through participation in afterschool programming, our youth learn responsibility and organizational skills during homework "Power Hour".  Getting creative time in arts and crafts and Lego building projects teach lessons of the world from discussions of international artists and gaining the understanding of how something works. 

Sports, Fitness and Recreation programming that
demonstrates to youth how eating smart, keeping fit and forming positive relationships adds up to a healthy lifestyle.  Sports are vital to children for many reasons and can give hope to hundreds of young people through disciplined training, an emphasis on rules, and the importance of learning good sportsmanship, as well as how how to win
and loose with respect from not only your coaches and the public, but also from your peers.

The Holyoke Boys & Girls Club has impacted many people over the past 120 years and it continues to do so in these challenging times.  It doesn’t just give a kid someplace to hang out or a court to practice basketball or a pool to swim, it gives them the knowledge that they can have an awesome future with a great family and home, the support
to become a hard-working employee with a fulfilling career, and the awareness that completing their education will serve them well throughout their futures.