The Hopkinsville Kiwanis Club was given a tour of the Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinsville Thursday as the non-profit organization works to return to the pre-COVID work that gives youth a safe place to meet and prepare for life after school.
Executive Director Terrence Davis said the club was mentoring around 140 kids a day when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last spring.
click to download audioLike many non-profit organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinsville had to pivot from in-person services to communal services.
Instead of serving meals and providing tutoring at the closed center, Davis said the club continued to provide those services for the community with over 51,000 meals served.
click to download audioDuring the pandemic, construction was completed on a 2,000 square foot cafeteria and kitchen adjacent to the Walnut Street Center. With COVID in the rearview mirror, Davis said returning programs to their pre-COVID status became the focus of the center.
click to download audioThe kids who utilize the center have a wide array of programs and activities with 15 full and part-time employees overseeing its daily operation.
The Hopkinsville chapter was established in 2005 and operates out of the Walnut Street Center. Davis, a 1996 graduate of Christian County High School, began working at the club part-time in 2006. He worked his way through the ranks and was named executive director in 2013.
(Photos by Ed Marlowe)
