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THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SANTA FE

Júntate a los buenos y serás uno de ellos.
Get together with good people and you will be one of them - Dicho – Proverb from the Spanish

Since its inception in 1938, the Club has been a constant in the lives of young Santa Feans.

From one generation to the next we have been there; reaching out to the young people in our community because…

In 1939, a small group of Santa Feans had a vision of helping young boys in their community. From that seed, the Santa Fe Boys & Girls Clubs were born over a pool hall on the Plaza. In 1942, the Club was chartered and moved to their own building on Also Street, where the main Club remains today. We are the oldest provider of youth services in Santa Fe and the only organization providing these services in the neighborhoods where our members reside.

Over the years, the Club has grown not just in the numbers of young people who are members but in its scope and vision. The Club has moved from an afterschool recreation and sports center for boys to an organization that looks after the physical, educational, and spiritual needs of the young people who are members. In 1990, the Santa Fe Club officially opened its doors to girls and young women, though many female Santa Feans have memories of “sneaking” into the Club.

The Santa Fe Boys & Girls Clubs is more than an organization, it is part of a movement. This movement has been a stable force in the lives of three generations of Santa Feans. Over 50% of our staff are former Club members including the Chief Professional Officer and Unit Directors. Many more former Club members generously give back to the Club by volunteering in a variety of areas (Board Members, tutors, mentors, and coaches). For many young people, their first experience away from family is becoming a Club member; their first job is becoming a Club intern, and as parents, their children become members.

Growing up in Santa Fe can be very difficult. There is an increasing disparity between rich and poor. All the social problems associated with poverty also continue to grow as the cost of living index spirals upwards. The combined middle- and high school dropout rate is one of the highest in the nation. With programs designed to give young people the tools to move forward in their lives, the Club is a place of hope; a safe haven.

From a small group of boys meeting on the Plaza, the Club has grown to six sites, 5,300 young people strong!