PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) -
The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast put out the welcome mat
Tuesday for a very special guest. For the first time, the president of
the Boys and Girls Clubs of America visited the Qatar Center at Pass
Christian. After a tour of the facility, he called it one of the best
centers in the country.
Since taking over as the head of the Boys
and Girls Clubs of America in January, Jim Clark has visited units all
over the country. He seemed quite impressed with what he saw on his
first visit to the Qatar Center at Pass Christian.
"I've heard a
lot about this club. It's a great organization with great leadership.
It's absolutely fabulous!" said Clark. "The facility is wonderful, of
course, but it's more than just about a building. It's about what
happens inside these walls that's special."
Clark specifically
pointed out the center's partnership with the Pass Christian School
District, like sharing its gym with the middle school next door and
providing after-school tutoring.
"What's unique here is teachers,
staff members at the Boys and Girls Clubs working together to improve
the lives of kids who need us most around academic success," said Clark.
"This is a shining example of how a collaborative effort can produce
greater results.
Pass Christian Middle School teacher Charlene
Stephens told Clark that the tutoring program has made a big difference
in her students, and she gave a lot of credit to the dedicated staff.
"I
know you're not thanked enough, but we thank you as a teacher, as a
parent," said Stephens. "We know it's a sacrifice and the love that you
show, the compassion and the care that you show every day, it means
something."
Clark called it a smart move sharing resources at a
time when Boys and Girls Clubs are challenged with helping more children
with less funding.
"That individual is a powerful voice in
helping secure funding for local communities, so his coming and seeing
how well we're doing following our successes academically and so forth
is rather extraordinary," said Dr. David Spinks, Boys and Girls Clubs of
the Gulf Coast Executive Director.
"I've got to applaud you too
for what you've done here with the school. I think this is a model that
others can use and follow across the country," Clark told the staff,
board members, and some community leaders who came to meet him. "Thank
you for what you're doing too. I appreciate that."
Clark also
visited the Boys and Girls Club at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi
Tuesday, as well as the units in Covington County and Collins,
Mississippi.
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