Taking care of kids and preparing them for the future is part of the goal at the Wimauma Boys and Girls Club.
Thanks to a generous gift, they were able to open a brand new center during the middle of the pandemic.
More than 100 kids are able to take part in fun activities and academic learning.
The roots run deep in the Wimauma community, their club director is from the area to help build trust among parents.
"One of the things that makes the Wimauma site unique is we're going to be launching a literacy program, because for a lot of our kids, their parents, you know, Spanish is their first language. So when they go home in the evenings, they may not be able to get assistance with literacy and with reading with a program like ours," Keith Harris, VP of Operations Boys and Girls Club of Tampa Bay said.
The club also partners with the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
There is also a full-time deputy on-site who helps interact with the kids.
"He really becomes like a part of our Boys and Girls Club mission. He interacts with the kids. He high fives them. So the thing that makes us unique is it when we started kindergarten, we like to believe that you know, the first experience that a kindergartner has with law enforcement is a positive experience because you got a positive role model," explained Harris.
You can find out more about the Boys and Girls Club by clicking here.
