Fort Belvoir, Va. (March 20, 2014) - Teenagers at Fort Belvoir Youth Center are playing with new basketballs purchased with a $28,000 Triple Play Grant the center received from Boys and Girls Clubs of America headquarters in early November.
The grant is designed to impact the mind, body and soul of youth by encouraging them to use their minds to make healthy food choices, their bodies to become more active and their souls to build relationships that will lead to healthier lifestyles.
All of the grant money, funded by a WellPoint Foundation donation to BGCA, will be spent before the end of calendar year 2014, according to Tracey Wilkinson, Youth Center director. Grant funding cannot be used to pay for the salaries of personnel, because that is funded by the U.S. Government.
"The big thing here is basketball," Wilkinson said. "They love their basketball, but we are also trying to incorporate other things along with that."
BGCA reached out to at least 11 military installations to give them the grant money in support of its first comprehensive health and wellness program, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of the grant program is to increase the daily physical activity of the youth and to teach them good nutrition.
Fort Belvoir personnel have already purchased new basketballs and replaced mats in the center's gym, for safety reasons, according to Wilkinson. They will buy new tennis equipment and basketball uniforms so youth from the center can play teams from other military installations.
Future plans also call for purchasing new exercise equipment and starting a walking club, according to Wilkinson. Pedometers will be purchased to track how far the children in the club are walking and how many steps they are taking. Grant funding will also be used to pay for training for center personnel to demonstrate how to use the new fitness equipment.
Center personnel will also start a cooking club and show youth how to make healthy snacks, according to Wilkinson. The healthy snacks will be served at the center.
The Fort Belvoir Youth Center had a meaningful relationship with the BGCA even before receiving the money in November.
"We enjoy partnering with them and using a lot of their curriculum where they do a lot of research," Wilkinson said. "I think it's great. They sent a lot of good information for us to use."
The Youth Center sponsors a variety of programs offering life skills, leadership training, mentorship, support services and recreational opportunities. The programs also teach youth about the arts. Only youth who are registered with the installation's Child, Youth and School Services program are eligible to utilize youth center services.
The youth center accommodates children ages 12-18 with a military affiliation, she said. It is open from 1-7 p.m., Monday--Thursday; 1-9 p.m., Fridays; and from noon to 9, Saturdays.
For more information about youth center activities, call (703) 805-4515.
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