Boys & Girls Club director says Keizer branch serves about 40 children daily and needs material donations

The branch director of the Boys & Girls Club’s Keizer site told the Keizer Community Diversity Engagement Committee the program serves roughly 40–44 children on a typical afternoon, with about 60 children registered overall, and that the small modular building’s capacity is listed at about 75.

"Our average attendance each afternoon is sitting right around 42 members," the presenter said, describing daily programming that includes STEM activities, homework help, arts and sports and a partnership with Kennedy Elementary to use the gym. She said attendance fluctuates seasonally — sports seasons and illnesses drove recent dips — and that last Monday saw a peak near 50 children.

On funding, the director said the Keizer site is part of the larger Boys & Girls Clubs of Salem, Marion and Polk Counties and receives a budget for local staffing and operations from that organization. The program charges a monthly participation fee of $30, but scholarships are available for families that qualify (often tied to SNAP or Oregon Health Plan eligibility), typically reducing fees to $15 a month or fully covering costs in some cases.

The director asked the community for material support: monthly supplies budgets are small and many programming ideas are limited by the cost of materials for STEM and special-interest clubs. Committee members suggested contacting the Keizer Chamber of Commerce and local civic groups for in-kind donations and recommended using the club’s donation page (bgc-salem.org) with the option to earmark contributions for the Keizer branch.

Next steps: committee members offered to share donor contacts and to list required supplies to facilitate in-kind support.