B&G club to bring real sense of community

We're still a month away from the opening of the Cheney Family branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puget Sound, but the Gig Harbor facility already is paying huge dividends. Club officials have been working diligently to partner with established organizations, and it should pay off in at least two ways: A full house when the doors open next month, and better service for the community.

The club will be more than just an after-school home for kids. Jo Ann Maxwell, director of the Gig Harbor branch, said the previous model is a thing of the past, and club officials are proving that by adding an impressive list of services for the Jim and Carolyn Milgard Family HOPE Center.

The name itself is inspiring. After all, HOPE is an acronym for Home of Opportunity, Possibility, Empowerment. The club will be a place for kids — and senior citizens, too — to gather, participate and strive for success.

And yet, it’s more than that. The club already has forged a partnership with the Peninsula Athletic Association, and it hopes to use Gig Harbor High School’s outdoor fields for additional activities. On top of that, it has offered its gym to next-door neighbor Henderson Bay High School, which hasn’t had such an opportunity to date.

One of the club’s main partners will be Lindquist Dental Clinic, which will offer its services at little to no cost for children up to age 18. It will feature three dental chairs and a variety of payment options.

Another positive for the community is the club’s willingness to provide space for a senior center, despite the fact that an agreement never was reached with the Gig Harbor City Council. The club could have backed off and refused any type of senior programming once the city decided to keep its donation at $250,000 — instead of three times that amount — but the club recognizes the need for such a meeting place, and it plans to provide it.

The Altrusa Foundation has played an important role, too, with its donation of all large appliances in the commercial-use kitchen.

The building itself is large enough to host community meetings, and there will be room to expand for a second gym in the future.

The next step is getting kids involved. And while access will be easy for those at Gig Harbor or Henderson Bay high schools or Discovery Elementary, since they’re all in the neighborhood, one problem that has yet to be solved is transportation for those farther away, including the Key Peninsula. A partnership with Pierce Transit seems to be a logical answer, and the club is pursuing that option.

When the facility opens on Oct. 5, it’ll be a welcome sight for parents, kids and other community members, because the Boys & Girls Club won’t be looking to compete with other businesses. It will be a place many can call their second home.