BGCGH President and CEO Kevin Hattery said Fort Bend County owns the building that houses the new club.
Hattery said Fort Bend County Commissioner Grady Prestage has served as the catalyst for BGCGH moving into the Mission Bend area.
"I can't emphasize enough that we're very fortunate to have a great team from Boys & Girls Club that work on this with Fort Bend County Commissioner Grady Prestage's office and the vision that he has for the community that he represents," Hattery said. "He's really an unsung hero for his for his community. We have the youth development experience to partner with him, and it's a great demonstration of what the government sector and the nonprofit sector can do to directly impact a community."
Prestage said his relationship with BGCGH as an elected official started in the late 90s. Since then the county and the nonprofit have worked to open three locations in Fort Bend County. The Mission Bend club will be the fourth.
The clubs, which have a $5 a year membership fee and serve students ages 7-17, provide much-needed services to the community, including after-school care, homework assistance, mentorship, and a safe space to engage in sports and games, Prestage said.
"It's a beautiful sight to see. You go into one of these buildings, and there are kids everywhere, and you've got to ask yourself, 'Where would they be, but for this place?'" Prestage said. "Some of them could be safely at home, but some of them could be out in some very vulnerable situations, and so these clubs give kids those kinds of activities, and they give parents peace of mind that their kids are safe."
Until the club's doors officially open, BGCGH is running a drive-thru food pantry out of the Mission Bend facility on Mondays from 3-5 p.m. 713-868-3426. www.bgclubs-houston.org
