As a six-year-old running around the Boys and Girls Clubs in Columbus, Indiana, Maggie Lewis didn’t give much thought to how structured the programs were. She played with friends and liked to paint.
“Just being free,” she said.
Now, as the CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, Lewis is able to look back and recognize that her childhood days spent at the club probably weren’t a free-for-all. As the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, Lewis sees an opportunity to enhance the roles that the club has come to play in the community over the decades.
Over 300,000 meals and snacks were distributed last year by Second Helpings, which takes in perishable and overstocked food to feed hungry children and adults, according to demographic data provided by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. The same data show that 14 percent of club members reported going to bed hungry at least fairly often in 2016.
“The kiddos who come to our clubs are often times the kiddos who need us most,” said Lewis, who is also a Democratic City-County Council member, representing District 10.
That’s why the club’s Blue Door Gala on Nov. 3 is acting as more than simply a celebration of the 125-year milestone. The club has a goal of raising $125,000, and it has already raised close to $100,000, according to Michelle Foley, donor communications manager. Tickets to the gala, 5-11 p.m. at the Crane Bay Event Center, are $150. Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis will sell popcorn and candy for $15, which is the price for a member to attend for a school year.
Just as Lewis was oblivious to the structure that surrounded her as a girl, club members today are much more attuned to the happenings around the pool table and on the basketball court than they are about the underlying efforts that guide their days.
Nine-year-old August Bates has attended the Boys and Girls Clubs for five years and said one of her favorite things at the Wheeler-Dowe location on the city’s northeast side is a program called Money Matters, which teaches kids the basics of financial literacy. But Bates didn’t know she was learning about money, just that she could get snacks like doughnuts and ice cream.
It’s these sorts of efforts that Lewis wants to see propel the club into its future.
“I believe that our youth are banking on us as the adults in this city to get this right,” said Lewis, who became the club’s CEO in May. “While there’s a lot of different, crazy things happening in our community, this is one place where our youngsters can go and be kids, and be comfortable being who they are without any type of judgement.”
Lewis also wants to shred the misconception that the Boys and Girls Clubs is simply a childcare service provider that can take in kids after school and watch them through the day during the summer.
“[W]e’re so much more,” Lewis said. “Over the years I want to make sure people know who we are and what we bring to the table.”
Part of the effort moving forward will be a focus on showing club members more than just college. Other post-high school options include learning a trade and joining the military. However, education has been a significant portion of what the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis puts its energy into. According to demographic data for last year, 56 percent of summer camp participants improved their reading fluency level, and 70 percent of members reported believing school is very important. But Lewis also knows that a four-year college isn’t on the mind of every member.
At the 125-year mark, Lewis said she sees a chance to properly honor those who laid the foundation of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, but also hit a soft reset and continue the club’s development.
“I feel like we have such a strong, rich, solid history in the community,” Lewis said, “but having a new person in the big chair, if you will, it’s an opportunity to think bigger.”
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Maggie Lewis attended a Boys and Girls Club in Columbus, Ohio.
Blue Door Gala
When: 5-11 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Crane Bay Event Center, 551 W. Merrill St.
Price: Single tickets are still available for $150, but seating is limited.
Entertainment: A Jayne Bond and The Pink Martinis cover band will provide live entertainment.
Time capsule: There will be a time capsule that people can put small tokens and written letters in for future members.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis celebrates 125 years
