Boys & Girls Clubs in Wisconsin see strong demand for services amid pandemic

Boys & Girls Clubs of Wisconsin officials said impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are driving expansions and demand for club services around Wisconsin.

In western Wisconsin, the nonprofit is working to expand facilities and services for an additional 250 kids in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Altoona and Menomonie, said Ann Kaiser, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley.

Kaiser told WPR the organization has been hearing from community partners of the burgeoning need for safe spaces for kids.

“So, we knew that academics is a big concern coming out of the shutdown,” Kaiser said. “We also know that there’s a lot of concern around kids’ social emotional needs around mental health, coping and resilience.”

Andy Gussert, director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wisconsin, said when schools were closed due to the pandemic, local clubs shifted from offering three hours of programs after school or on weekends to between 12 and 15 hours per day.

He said new clubs were established at the beginning of the pandemic in rural areas like Shawano, Reedsburg, Rhinelander and Manitowoc. Gussert said discussions are underway for new clubs in Clintonville and New Holstein.

“There have been huge increases in both the number of new sites and new cities we’re serving, as well as expansions in existing areas,” Gussert said.

Boys & Girls Clubs officials also have heard of the need for workforce training and existing clubs in places like Madison and Milwaukee are expanding workforce development services in response to that need.

Additionally, Gussert said fundraising has been strong during the pandemic, with around half of Boys & Girls Clubs seeing donations beyond what was anticipated last year.