NAMPA, Idaho — It's hard to count the ways the Boys and Girls Club of Nampa benefits the community by providing services to children in the area who need a safe place to spend time. They serve hundreds of kids every day, but COVID-19 put them in a challenging spot.
From rearranging everything inside, and setting up check stations outside, the staff says they don't know where they'd be without community support.
Executive director Melissa Gentry and her staff have stepped up to the plate to make the changes necessary to handle the growing amount of kids.
"We live by X's right now, we tell the kids they need to stand on X when they're waiting for an area, six feet apart. Our gym is small, all spread out by X's, so now we know every room is labeled so we know how many kids can be in there at a certain time," Gentry said.
Gentry says they expect a record summer with as many as 300 to 400 children a day, but thanks to the Nampa School District, they have added an additional space at Snake River Elementary School next door.
Gentry is a firm believer that if you invest in your children now, it will pay off years later.
"One of my favorite things about the Boys and Girls club of Nampa is that most of our staff were club members," said Gentry.
Their infamous car raffle is still on this year, with 1,500 tickets available at 100 dollars each. The grand prize? A 1970's Chevelle.
Learn more about the club here.
