Donations needed to fund Boys & Girls club daytime remote learning centers while parents work

CARPINTERIA, Calif. - Efforts are coming together to help parents who are back at work with children who are required to take remote-learning classes for their school.

The United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County has opened the doors at the downtown building and in Carpinteria for daytime learning centers and a full schedule of after school activities until the parents pick up their kids after the work day.

It's a safe, sanitized and fully connected location with adult supervision.

All the kids are in study areas with spacing and a high speed internet.

The changes have been required due to the coronavirus pandemic and, for now, the closure of school campuses.

The clubs call their designated school areas, Community Learning Centers. They are open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and then convert to the afternoon programs.

For spacing, many rooms, including the gymnasium, have been set up for students. Right now, several possible areas are empty due to the lack of funds. The waiting list, however, is full, and students are ready to attend.

In Carpinteria, for example, 28 children are signed up. 24 attended Thursday. There's room for over 50 more with a waiting list of kids ready to attend if the donations are made by community members.

For parents who can afford it, the Learning Center program is $150. a week.

Many of the club members do not have the proper connections at home to go on line with Zoom and programs required. That's where this effort by the Boys & Girls Club fills the gap.

They also provide breakfast and lunch.

CEO Michael Baker says the goal now is to raise $250,000. to provide scholarships for kids with the highest needs but can not afford the fees.

All of the clubs are open for after school with a donation from Jane and Paul Orfalea through their Audacious Foundation. They wanted to make sure the kids have an environment with fitness and healthy food between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. before they go home.

This also keeps them interacting with other kids and it reduces isolation.

The sites also have a place to do homework.

The other philanthropic help has come from the United Way and longtime supporter Virgil Elings. But it's not enough to keep all the clubs open right now all day for about 500 kids, and that's why donations are so vital.

The clubs are not allowed to have their typical gala events for fundraising due to the virus crisis rules, and they are relying more than ever on community donations.

"The whole key is opening the doors," said United Boys & Girls Club CEO Michael Baker as he looks for more donations.
The environment is different than most homes and there are many success stories.

"There may not be anyone there to be able to watch them to make sure they are getting stuff done.  We're making sure they are staying in their Zoom sessions," said Baker. "A lot of our families, the connectivity (to the internet) is  not the greatest at home and they may not have the  ability to connect."

A fifth grader, Kevin Martinez,  says for him this makes a big difference in his learning, and afterwards they get a variety of activities.

"We do exercise and then we do free time on the computers and then in about a week we watch a movie," said Martinez.

Fitness in the club gym in a spaced way is included and vital.

"We can have 14 kids in the other half of the gym," said Baker pointing to X's on the floor where the kids can do activities.

Tables in the gym can be used for learning or meals.   Each one has been taped off for spacing.

Besides Carpinteria and downtown Santa Barbara club which are almost fully funded by early September they are hoping to open up five more clubs in Southern and Northern Santa Barbara County.

"We have the Westside Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, Buellton and Solvang.  All those facilities, we want to get open and fill them with kids and help them with their homework," said Baker.    

"This has been the hardest summer  of my career  because the kids were not in our buildings," said Baker with long pauses to contemplate the challenge. "That's what we're here for." He often says he loves to come into a club and hear the noise of kids.

For Baker and his Board of Directors made up of a group he says he will "put up against anyone's" the ultimate goal is to help the children.

"We want to make sure our kids are on track to graduate on time," said Baker.

If you would like to donate go to: United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County