Audrey Gomez
The Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club was bustling with activity during spring break, even as the club faces possible closure.
Dezirae Kimble, 13, who has been going to the club since she was in second grade, helped younger club members create colorful clay sculptures on March 23.
“I’ve been doing it for a while,” Dezirae said. “(I) drop off my bag and run to the art room. I’m always excited to see Carolyn (Owen) and do art.”
Carolyn Owen has worked at the Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club since 2006. She now primarily works at the Teen Center but used to work at the main center and still helps out there.
“I have just as much fun as the kids,” Owen said as she worked on a clay sculpture of her own.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam includes the Lebanon and Sweet Home branches. The Sweet Home branch has been operating at a deficit for a decade.
The Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club Local Council met on March 18 to review funding benchmarks needed to keep the club doors open.
Executive Director Kris Latimer said $40,000 must be raised by March 31 to help the organization meet its financial obligations. As of March 23, about $32,000 had been raised, Latimer said.
When asked what happens to the Sweet Home branch if the remaining $8,000 is not raised by March 31, Latimer said: “It’s not an option.”
“An additional $20,000 then needs to be donated by May 31, 2015 in order for the organization to continue services through the summer and plan for fall,” Latimer said.
Additionally, $8,871 was pledged, Latimer said.
Donations have been coming in.
“I know that last week I was given about $2,000 in checks,” said Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club Senior Branch Director Dave Bauer. “(Council members’) first task was to go out and get that $10,000 to help bridge that gap for the end of March.”
Bauer, who also manages Steelhead Strength and Fitness, said a Zumba fundraiser at the gym raised $320 and All Star Pizza did a fundraiser a couple of weeks ago that raised $2,200.
A&W is planning a fundraiser on April 13.
A total $120,000 pledged and/or given by June 30 will guarantee the community can meet its financial goals in support of Sweet Home kids for the calendar year 2015, Latimer said.
“If we aren’t able to meet that goal, it’s likely BGCGS will not be able to commit to after school services in Sweet Home in fall,” Latimer said.
At a recent town hall meeting, Ron Moore, former board president and leader of an ad hoc committee dedicated to keeping the Sweet Home branch open, detailed some issues in the budget.
Moore said the athletics budget is $82,000, and the core programs cost $381,000. Salaries run about $42,000 in athletics and $188,000 in the core programs. Athletics are short about $23,000, and the core programs are short about $81,000.
The Sweet Home Branch has 16 employees, two of them full time, Bauer said. The club’s big expense is people.
“Because of the number of kids we serve, we really can’t cut staff,” Bauer said. They operate at a 20 to 1 staff to student ratio, he said.
The Lebanon and Sweet Home branches do share some office staff, Bauer said, including program director, human resources, and executive director.
“We have a new resource development person to help with raising funds,” Bauer said. That person is also shared between Lebanon and Sweet Home.