East Valley Boys & Girls Club, Baldwin Park

For over 33 years, the East Valley Boys & Girls Club has been in the forefront of youth development, working with young people from disadvantaged economic, social and family circumstances throughout the Eastern San Gabriel Valley. EVBGC has actively sought to enrich the lives of girls and boys whom other youth agencies have had difficulty in reaching. We are dedicated to ensuring that our community's disadvantaged youngsters have greater access to quality programs and services that will enhance their lives and shape their futures. Our history is rooted in youth development issues. The Club was founded in response to various community concerns such as levels of youth delinquency, gang involvement and drug use. Since our inception we have been advocating for funding and services to meet the needs of youth in this and surrounding communities. Guided by a philosophy which views the hours after school as the time when youth are particularly at risk due to a lack of both appropriate supervision and constructive activities, the Club has strived to fill that void. Our initial efforts began humbly. We operated a small storefront with merely a few table games and a ping pong and pool table. As we became accepted by the youth coming to our Club, we began to gain their trust and were able to determine some of their unmet needs. The most pressing was merely having a safe place to go after school and the nurturing relationship with a caring adult. Many of these children have parents who work and do not return home until early evening. T he East Valley Boys & Girls Club is part of a nationwide affiliation of local, autonomous organizations that work to help young people of all backgrounds develop the qualities they need to become responsible citizens and leaders. We offer daily access to a broad range of programs in five Core Program Areas: Education and Career Development, Character and Leadership Development, Health and Life Skills, The Arts, Sports, Fitness and Recreation.