Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Rockfish Valley Community Center (RVCC) board members, along with Henry Saxon, Regional Service Director from The Boy’s & Girl’s Club of America (B&GC) met Tuesday night to look into establishing a club in Nelson County at RVCC. Other interested folks living in the area attended the meeting to see what the prospects of starting a club might be. Agnes Schrider, owner of Nelson Physical Therapy in Beech Grove/Roseland, and an RVCC board member, organized the meeting. “I think we have a real opportunity here to guide our children. It’s not just because I am a parent,” Agnes told the crowd of about 50 Tuesday night. She has been organizing the effort for most of this summer.
“You need to think about the why. Think about these thousands of young people through no fault of their own find themselves where they are today. And will this community create an opportunity where these kids can get on a trajectory much higher than one that maybe laid in front of them right now,” Saxon explained. He has been a lifelong B&GC participant starting with the organization right out of college and now a Regional Service Director for the organization.
An organization established at RVCC would most likely be a part of an umbrella organization from a nearby club like the one in Charlottesville, though not necessarily a prerequisite to start a club here.
Boys and Girls Clubs of America offers low cost services to youth when they need it the most; after school and during the summer. Studies show that where Boys and Girls Clubs are located, juvenile crime is reduced, scholastic achievement among members improves, attendance in school improves, and most of all, overall attitude among young people is greatly enhanced.
A steering committee is being formed after Tuesday night’s meeting to see what steps need to be taken next.
