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welcome to the
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRACI NEWBY REFLECTS ON THE PITTSBORO BOYS & GIRLS CLUB’S IMPACT IN ITS FIRST YEAR BY BROOKE SPACH PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
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efore the Pittsboro Boys & Girls Club, there were many Chatham County elementary and middle school students going home alone or relying on extended family members for child care before their parents got off work. The club opened its doors in October 2021 with a mission to provide the equitable afterschool support these families needed. The club has since grown from 65 to 95 members and proportionally increased staff under the guidance of Executive Director Traci Newby, who’s been with the Pittsboro club from the start. He took on this role after working within Siler City’s Wren Family Center club chapter since 2018. When students arrive at George Moses Horton Middle School each afternoon, they’re greeted with big
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CHATHAM MAGAZINE
Ay’Leigha Lucas, 7, Ava Taylor, 10, Paris Seymore, 7, London Seymore, 7, and Jada Watson, 9, with Traci Newby.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2023
smiles, hugs and high-fives from the mentor staff. The students enjoy snack time, play icebreaker games and complete a homework “power hour” before diving into planned activities, covering a different topic each month. These programs range from leadership development to discussions about dealing with bullying. One evergreen focus, though, is the club’s Triple Play program, a nationwide initiative which promotes well-being in the mind, body and soul. “Our healthy habits program is designed to implement healthy living by emphasizing the good nutrition and regular physical activity that our members need,” Traci says. “We have great relationships with CORA and Porch Briar Chapel, and each month our members are delivered fresh fruit and vegetable boxes with different recipes that they go home and try.”