BEND, OR -- The Boys and Girls Clubs of Bend has doubled in size, this summer. The nonprofit is able to accommodate the increase in kids by renting more space from St. Francis on NE 27th Street. 

In the past, the Bend club could only handle about 250 kids during the summer, with a long wait list. Derek Beauvais, Executive Director of the Bend club, tells KBND, "Between the two clubs, we've been able to service everyone, so we don't have a wait list right now. We have over 580 kids registered for the summer program. We're averaging over 200 at the downtown facility; and 170-200 at the St. Francis site, each day." They have doubled staffing to accommodate the growth.

Beauvais says they couldn't do it without the help of St. Francis. "Our facility use is a large ask from any organization. We needed 10 to 11 weeks of programming, 55 hours a week for up to 250 kids. There aren't a lot of facilities that have that capacity in Bend. So it did take us a full year to find a space that was a good home."

Between the two sites, he says the Boys and Girls Club of Bend is on track to serve more than a thousand children, this year.