Wednesday, September 14, 2022
www.thepapersonline.com
Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties
Vol. 52, No. 12
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
serving kids for almost a century %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 (GLWRU For the last 96 years, the Baker Youth Club has offered kids in Warsaw a safe place to play and get some homework help. The organization will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. “Other than the Red Cross, I think we’re the oldest nonprofit in Warsaw,” said Tracy Furnivall, executive director. The Baker Youth Club focuses on three pillars: education, health and social skill building. “We really listened to our community, our educators, our judicial community that we needed to add education and health (to the program), “ Furnivall said. “Kids need social skills, whether they’re sitting playing chess or soccer. In the STEM room I think that’s one of the big things we’re accomplishing under the radar.” Furnivall is only the fourth director and first full-time director of the Baker Youth Club. Pete Thorn was the first director, serving for 37 years, followed by Coach Robert Litchwalter, who had a 70-year history with the club as a member, director and strong supporter after retiring, and Scott Wiley. “I’ve had a great board of directors over the years. … We’re continuing to grow to what I think is a rock star group from the community,” Furnivall said. “It’s just been one (period of) growth after the other.” When Furnivall started back in 2003, it was just he and one or two staff people working in the club. Today, he has a staff of 40. Pre-COVID, the club served about 220 to 230 kids a day. Currently the club is seeing approximately 150 kids a day, but Furnivall said he expects those numbers to rise once fall sports seasons are over. In addition to the main club located at 1401 E. Smith St., Baker Youth Club has two satellite locations: Syracuse Elementary School and Wawasee Middle School. The satellite locations, which serve youth from after Labor Day to a few weeks before the end of the school year, sees about 20 children a day with a cap at 40. Children attending the satellite locations receive some gym time, an afterschool snack and then homework or reading help. A typical morning at the main club location begins with the club opening at 6:30 a.m. Club
members start coming between 6:30-8 a.m. while their parents go off to work. At the club, they hang out and enjoy some free time while waiting for their school bus. Warsaw Community Schools offers a shuttle bus between its schools and the club. “We would not be as successful without this support,” Furnivall said. Club members are then shuttled back to the club after school where they receive a snack, and kindergartners through third graders participate in 20 minutes of reading. Third graders also do a practice ISTEP reading worksheet Monday through Thursday. Certified teachers assist the children with their homework and reading. Club members may then enjoy some free time playing games in the game room, playing in the gym or engaging in a project in either the art or STEM room. “We want them to have fun, but it’s structured,” Furnivall explained. With the assistance of six community partners, the club serves dinner around 5:30 p.m. to the club members. The club closes at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 p.m. on Fridays. It also offers daylong summer programs as well as remaining open should school cancel due to inclement weather. “It’s a resource for working parents where it’s a safe, engaging place,” Furnivall said. Baker Youth Club serves kids in kindergarten through 12th grade with approximately 85% of its members being in kindergarten through sixth grade. “One of the cool things I really like about our program … (is) we’ve had kids who attended here who are now staff members,” Furnivall said. The club also hires some high school kids who used to be members and still want to be involved in the program. The latest hire for the Baker Youth Club is JR Grey, who was formerly the director of Youth for Christ. Furnivall said Grey comes from a great nonprofit background. His duties include working with staff relations and scheduling, helping on the floor with the kids, community relations and fundraising. The club always welcomes new members. Registration is done online at bakeryouthclub. com or parents can call (574) 267-8771 with ques“We don’t tions. turn anyone away due to financial situations,” Furnivall said.
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