REDMOND, OR -- The Boys and Girls Clubs of Redmond/Terrebonne is moving into the next phase of program development, nine months after splitting from Bend. Executive Director Jenny O’Keefe admits things got off to a rough start when finances didn’t allow the clubs to open in September as planned. However, when they opened in October with 118 kids, she tells KBND they committed to the full school year. "What we didn’t anticipate was the tremendous growth we would experience. We had set a goal of 400 youth by the end of 2015 and we’re already creeping up on that goal. We’re several months ahead of schedule and it looks like we’re going to meet our goal of 500 youth likely by the end of 2015."
O'Keefe attributes the success to community outreach efforts, and recent grants that allowed the clubs to hire more staff, including a full-time teen director. "A lot of times when people view something as childcare there’s that sense of 'they only need to be there when I need them to be.' But now we have kids coming because they want to. And, it’s not because our programs have changed so dramatically, it’s that the culture has changed, what we’re communicating to the community has changed; helping the community see that we are more."