The Golden Triangle Boys & Girls Club in West Point is back

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – School’s out for the summer and thanks to some community efforts and a little hard work, The Golden Triangle Boys and Girls Club West Point is back in session.

“It’s fun and it’s a learning experience. You get to do stuff instead of being at home bored,” said BGC Member Aniyah Lucas.

The Golden Triangle Boys and Girls club in West Point is once again up and running.

After a 16 year absence, site director Justice Coleman says it took a few boots on the ground to get the doors back open again.

“We needed the support of the community and the community has been great and supportive. We’ve had to advertise and advertise and advertise for it. We had to make sure the right people were in place and raise the amount of money to get all the kids in here to be able to support them and give them what they need,” said Coleman.

The City Of West point, the police department and the West Point school district were all instrumental in making all of this possible.

Youth Development Professional Instructor Erica Ford says she’s thankful the Boys and Girls club is back in town, and knows the importance for the community to invest in the youth.

“It’s something that we’ve been waiting on for a long time to come because we haven’t had anything for the kids to do especially over the summer time and after school as well. Just having the boys and girls club here will give the kids something to do that’s fun and entertaining. The more kids that we have here the less we have ripping and running the streets,” said Ford.

The club doesn’t have an official building just yet but plans for a permanent location are in the works.

Currently the students are meeting at 5th Street Elementary School but Coleman says having a building to call their own would have a positive impact on the organization.

“We are thankful to be in here and we are thankful that they lended this to us but a permanent space would allow us to put what we want in certain places. It would also be able to allow us to host more children. There are still children on the waiting list that can come because we only have so much classroom space,” said Coleman.

“With my classroom here I’ve got the desk so I don’t have enough space for all of the kids and like today I have 28 – 29 kids in my room so 28 – 29 kids in my room it’s hard to get up and do activities with movement and everything with the desks in the office,”said Ford.

There is no completion date yet for the new building.

The Boys and Girls Club Board will resume its capital campaign in the late fall.