Generous Hearts: Boys & Girls Club of America

Boys & Girls Club Dedicated to our Youth for 150+ Years

Written by Macie Hebert

For over 150 years, across the United States, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BCGA) have taken valuable steps to support a better life for youth and teens. Not only does the club provide access to after school care and summer camps, they provide young people with safety, hope, and a place to grow with support. With a national footprint and long standing commitment to youth well-being in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Gretna, they are now turning their focus to the Northshore.

While the beautiful area we call home may seem like a sanctuary, many people struggle quietly, scraping by under the radar, in need of a hand.

“You start riding around and you see that there’s real poverty and these kids have no way to get out of it,” stated Steve Cory, a board member of BCGA.

People like Cory, along with Executive Director of the BCGA of Metro Louisiana, Angel Nelson, and Board Member Doug Brooks are the kinds of people who are making strides to better those in need and the community as a whole. Working out of Pineview Middle School for the time being, the local team is currently offering mentorship, academic support and afterschool care, with a vision for much more in the future.

With the help of the Northshore Community Foundation, plans for a new facility in the Covington area are in the works, with an aim to break ground later this year. The new building will offer dedicated classrooms, a technology center, recreational areas, and a full kitchen to ensure that kids have not only a place to go, but a place to thrive.

“This building is not only going to keep kids safe. My vision is to utilize the new facility during the daytime through partnerships to provide professional help to others in need, such as family or behavioral services,” explained Angel Nelson.

In the past, there have even been clubs that Nelson has worked with that have partnered with dental care providers, supplying transportation for kids to be taken to and from free dental appointments, and she wants to make it happen in Covington as well.

“It’s captivating when you see the kids and the work that the club does, and what it can bring to this area”, noted Cory.

Doug Brooks is making waves not only with his time as a Board Member, but also as a donor through his donor advised fund at the Northshore Community Foundation. With a generous matching gift, his contributions will help tremendously to ensure that the project is completed in a timely manner.

“The Northshore Community Foundation has been a true partner, helping us engage the community and build the early support needed to bring the club to Covington,” said Nelson.

“The club brings structure, fun, friends, a place where you can get help with studying, and even meals. Just a little bit of security gives them a feeling that there really is a place they can go where someone cares,” said Brooks.

With plans in motion and a shared commitment with the Northshore Community Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of Covington is closer than ever to becoming a reality. But it can’t happen without continued support.

“Doug’s generosity gave this project the push it needed,” said Nelson. “But the truth is, we still need the community to show up for these kids.”

Every dollar raised will go directly toward completing the new facility and expanding the reach of programs already making a difference.

The sooner funding is secured, the sooner construction can begin - and the sooner local youth will have access to everything the Club offers: safety, structure, and opportunity.

Whether through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, or simply spreading the word, there are many ways to contribute.

“This is a community project,” Nelson added. “And we want the entire Northshore to feel proud of what we’re building here.”

This project is truly a partnership with so many like the Northshore Community Foundation, the construction of the project is being done by Donahue Favret while Greenleaf Architects is taking charge of the architecture.

To learn more about how to support the Boys & Girls Club of Covington, visit bgca.org/ways-to-give or call (985) 327-7634.

Highlighting Philanthropy on the Northshore

Our parters at the Northshore Community Foundation exist to make it easy for each of us to make a difference in our own backyard. Now in their 18th year, the Foundation has touched over $83 million dollars in philanthropic fuel, focusing on simplifying, organizing and magnifying philanthropy at every turn.

The Foundation has reached those remarkable numbers in three primary ways. First, they engage hundreds of individuals, families, companies and nonprofits in a membership model that promotes active connections and charitable work. Second, they take the paperwork out of “doing good” by administering funds that act as charitable checkbooks for any purpose. Last, they step into big roles when the need is great — especially in times of disaster. Through these three unique and critical roles, the Foundation uses its expertise and resources to magnify the incredible charitable work so prevalent in our region.

Everyone is a philanthropist. To Learn how you can do more in your own backyard, reach out to the Foundation at northshorefoundation.org