Boys and Girls Club, House of Hope to start pilot program in south Cape

The Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Missouri and Cape First Church's House of Hope ministry are teaming up to provide a trial run of after-school programming and mentorship services for students in Cape Girardeau's south side.

Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Missouri executive director Allen Treece said Thursday the pilot program would build on House of Hope's existing community outreach efforts.

"Their Wednesday services are really well-attended," Treece said, adding he was able to discuss the forthcoming program with about 70 kids Wednesday night at House of Hope's service. "Both parties are really excited about it."

The program, he said, will be focused on fourth-graders, capped at 50 children and would entail a slate of programming similar to that on offer at the two other Boys and Girls Club sites in the region, including homework assistance, recreational programs and mentorship opportunities.

It will begin in January and run through May 2019, at which point it will be re-evaluated, Treece said.

"We're hoping to find out, logistically, what are the chances this could be a successful long-term partnership moving forward?" Treece said. "I think that's what our local government wants to see when they talk about purpose-built communities is groups coming together and trying to work together."

The partnership, Treece said, began this summer when House of Hope invited members of the Boys and Girls Club staff to tour their facilities.

"So we started talking with them at first. We didn't want to jump too quickly into anything, but we see it as a chance to rally behind what has been expressed to me to be a big project; getting resources into that south Cape area," he said. "It would mean expanding into a part of town that we really need to be in."

The metrics of success, Treece said, would be students' interest levels and the degree of support from the community. The hope, however, is to grow the pilot program into a permanent club site. That's how the Boys and Girls Club started a similar program in Scott City, Treece said. The overall student membership in the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Missouri is about 300, Treece said.

Boys and Girls Club staffers will provide additional information and register participants during House of Hope's weekly service Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m. House of Hope is at 1000 Ranney Ave. in Cape Girardeau.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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