Boys & Girls Club requests $40,000 for Vienna summer program after membership surge

Darlene Murphy, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg, asked the Vienna City Council for $40,000 to run a 10-week summer recreation program in Vienna that would operate 9 a.m.–2 p.m. and serve kindergarten through fifth-grade children. Murphy said club membership increased from about 400 in 2023 to 811 in 2025 and described outcomes data that show the program meets national benchmarks for safe and positive environments.

Murphy framed the cost estimate as about $100 per child per week if 40 children attend daily, and said the club had obtained a school-based site in Vienna that is already serving 45 children. She described expanded hours and partnerships with Wood County Schools for meals and emphasized continuity of staff and evidence-based programming.

Council members asked logistical questions about location, age range, and aftercare; Murphy said the program could bus some participants to a Mary Street location for parents requiring later pick-up. The council did not act on the funding request at the meeting; Murphy invited follow-up as the budget process proceeds.