Boys and Girls Club coming to Hanna

There is another Wyoming chapter coming for the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) and it is happening in the northern Carbon County town of Hanna. It will be the 9th in the state. 

Most are in larger communities, but Theresa Pacheco, director of the Carbon County branch in Rawlins, sees the town of Hanna as a good place for the organization.

The BGC will be located in the Hanna Miner Memorial Recreation Center.

Pacheco said the actual idea to have a girls and boys club in northern Carbon County came from Peggy Lake, a resident in Hanna who runs the clinic in town.

“Two years Peggy and Mayor Buchanan talked a little about it happening here, but back then we didn’t have the finances to make it viable at that moment,” Pacheco said. “Then COVID hit and changed things like it did everywhere. So the idea was put on hold until I could get the right staff here and the environment was right. If I didn’t have a strong staff in place here, it would be impossible to go off to another place and sustain either club.”

Pacheco said she feels comfortable with the staff in Rawlins.

“I feel I have a really good core staff in Rawlins now  that enables me to take off and start this one in Hanna,” Pacheco said. “That is important.”

Pacheco has been with BGC for eight years.

“I used to work with the former director,” Pacheco said. “I worked with her in 2005 when I was with the SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) program and when she left, I took over.”

Pacheco was born in Rawlins but grew up in Meridian, Connecticut. In her senior year, her family moved to Colorado Springs where she graduated from High School and college.

Pacheco always had a connection to Rawlins and Carbon County. “My grandparents lived in Rawlins and Sinclair and I visited every summer,” Pacheco said. “I have very good memories of those times.”

Her first job out of college was with a person who worked with Walt Disney.

“They worked with lighting and such,” Pacheco said. “It was actually very cool.”

Her next move was to Carbon County 36 years ago. She eventually came to work for the BGC.

Pacheco’s goals for the BGC in northern Carbon County is for the organization to help the kids in the area. “I hope we touch kids and expand their horizons,” she said. “The organization has so much to offer and it is just a matter of tapping into the resources.”

The Boys and Girls Club of America said their vision and goals are to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Their mission is to provide a world-class club experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.

We believe every kid has what it takes. The mission and core beliefs of Boys and Girls Clubs fuel our commitment to promoting safe, positive and inclusive environments for all. Boys and Girls Clubs of America supports all youth and teens of every race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status and religion in reaching their full potential.

Pacheco looks at the BGC as a place for kids to grow and interact with fellow members and learn about many things.

It is interesting to note, initially, the organization was known as only the Boys Club of America and it was not until the 1970s, that girls were included. It became apparent all kids benefited from this program.

“I would like to see our kids here in Carbon County use these resources and expand off to college which hopefully will lead to careers,” Pacheco said. “The club really can be beneficial to so many young adults and children alike.”

She is excited to see it happening in another place in Carbon County.

“In Hanna we will introduce programs, such as “Youth of the Month”, where their pictures are on the wall and recognized for all the good things they have accomplished. There is also a “Youth of the Year”, where these 14 to 18 year olds compete statewide and the winner goes on to compete nationally. The national winner–college, is paid for.”

The BGC, according to Pacheco, is an enhancement to their education.

The Hanna chapter will cost $5 a week for five days a week. This includes a snack.

“We realize that times are tough and some people are struggling a little bit,” Pacheco said. “This means $20 a month and $100 for a semester. People have the choice of paying by the day or semester. We try to make it as easy as possible for families.”

The grades the BGC serves are from K to 12.

Pacheco said the BGC is working with Carbon School District No. 2 to have the kids attending BGC be able to take a bus after school.

“The parents will be responsible for picking up their kids at 6 p.m.,” Pacheco said. “If they are running late, a call is always appreciated because we understand the circumstances where a pickup is delayed, but we need to know, if only to let the kids know what is happening.”

The University of Wyoming is working with BGC.

“As a matter of fact the University is loaning us their maker lab in the fall,” Pacheco said. “The kids will be able to do 3-D printing for instance. There are all sorts of things they can do.”

The BGC in Hanna will only be open during the school year to begin with. There may be a time when the BGC will also be open during the summer.

“This is being classified as a community impact program,” Pacheco said. “So we are going to see how this takes off. Then we will see if the following year we can include summer.”

Funding for the club comes from different sources. “Some funding might come from the Department of Education,” Pacheco said. “We do fundraising several times a year, because things do cost money. Also by fundraising, we get some buy-in from the local community which is always good.”

Pacheco hopes to see all the northern Carbon County’s communities have kids join. She would even like to see kids from the Valley, although she realizes without bus service, that makes it harder for kids to get there.

“I am looking forward to seeing how this is going to play out with the communities involved,” Pacheco said. “I think the Boys and Girls Club is warranted and much needed.”

The date Pacheco is looking to open is January 16. 

She said that they are currently taking applications for students which can be found at the schools, the BGC in Rawlins and online at the Rawlins website.

“The Boys and Girls Club builds character in so many of these kids that come to the organization,” Pacheco concluded. “That is never a bad thing.”