Boys & Girls Clubs Opens Year-Round Program in Estes Park in Partnership with United Way of Larimer County

Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC), with help from United Way of Larimer County and the Estes Park School District, will now be serving youth in Estes Park year-round. Since 2015, Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, in partnership with Estes Park Elementary School and the Food Bank for Larimer County, have operated a summer program to give Estes Park youth access to a fun, safe, and enriching environment while their parents worked.  Each summer since then, Boys & Girls Clubs has returned to continue the program with the hopes of eventually growing it into a year-round program.

This year, due to COVID-19, BGCLC stayed in Estes Park after the summer program to provide remote learning support. It was during this time that the Estes Park School District and BGCLC devised a comprehensive partnership plan that could support students all year long. In this plan, Boys & Girls Clubs staff will support students, specifically in the Newcomer Program, throughout the school day and then direct the Boys & Girls Club after school program once the school day is completed. The Boys & Girls Club after-school program will consist of homework help, academic enrichment, fitness and recreation, arts and building health and life skills. This model provides consistency for both youth and families, it also gives additional support to some of the most vulnerable youth in Estes Park. And thanks to the help of United Way of Larimer County, there will be no fees associated for youth to attend this program.

United Way of Larimer County jumped on the opportunity to support this partnership and has committed $75,000 each year for the next three years to provide sustainable support to this program. “This was an opportunity to both meet the unique and equity-focused needs in Estes Park that impact all of United Way of Larimer County’s priority areas, and demonstrate a new and explicit way of working as a sector. We want organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County to provide their critical services, making meaningful impacts, without also having to do the heavy lifting of fundraising alone. With the additional partner of Estes Park School District literally opening their doors, it was an easy decision for us to join this partnership,” said Deirdre Sullivan, President and CEO of United Way of Larimer County.

“Boys & Girls Club has been a lifesaver for my family. We could not have gotten through the summer without them. We are so grateful that they are now operating year-round in our community. My kids love it there and we know they are safe and having fun every day,” parent of an Estes Park Club Member.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County’s CEO, Kaycee Headrick, says, “We are honored to be able to offer this type of service to the youth and families in Estes Park. We know that this partnership will benefit some of the youth and families that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19.”