As part of its ongoing outreach to constituents during the Covid 19 pandemic, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (BGCGH) held three virtual Town Halls last week to provide critical information about what parents (and teens) should know to keep themselves and their children safe in the midst of the “reopening” of Texas. Additionally, BGCGH hosted a Special Session via Zoom with community partners, staff and board members, including Ericka Brown, M.D.; Coca-Cola representatives and special guest speaker David Persse, M.D., Health Authority for the Houston Health Department, to discuss issues around safely reopening Boys & Girls Clubs for in-person programming this week.

“Since mid-March, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston adapted our business model to adjust to the needs of our Club members and their families, including food insecurity and learning loss,” says Kevin Hattery, President and CEO. “We have also worked tirelessly to assess the social and emotional needs of our constituents and to prepare for in-person programming that meets CDC health standards. Our Town Halls and Special Session provided extensive information about health and safety during the state’s reopening and how we will handle the phased reopening of our Clubs for the summer.”

Two of the Town Halls were geared toward parents, and the third one included teen Club members. All were broadcast on Facebook Live. Each Town Hall included Q&A opportunities for the viewers. T Mobile generously sponsored all three sessions.

On May 26, the Town Hall for English speakers was moderated by Freddy Cruz, Imaging Director, Community Affairs and Director, Programming for Houston’s Cumulus Radio Group (KRBE). Panelists included:

-Lina Hidalgo – Judge, Harris County

-Charisma Garcia, M.D., Pediatrician from Texas Children’s Health Plan’s – The Center for Children and Women

-Teandra Gordon, PhD, LMFT-S – Clinical Director, Legacy Community Health

-Zenae Campbell, Vice President Program Services and Club Operations – BGCGH

On May 27, the program was aimed at Spanish-speaking parents and guardians. The moderator was Grace Olivares, Community Affairs Director for Univision 45, KLXN-TV. Panelists were:

-Marcos Virula, Club Director, Westwood, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston

-Dr. Irma Guardiola-Castillo, Director of Therapy, Legacy Community Health

-Cristina Pelaez Velez, M.D., Pediatrician, Texas Children’s Hospital

The Town Hall for Teens on May 28 featured moderators DJ-Kiotti (Host, Good Morning H-Town) and Young Jas, both from 97.9 FM, The Box. Metrics for the widely viewed event show that people reached and unique views equaled 6706. Engagement totaled 495, including reactions, comments, and shares. Panelists included:

-Brandon Denton, Assistant Director Office of Education, City of Houston Mayor’s Office

-Stan Spinner, M.D., Vice- President and Chief Medical Officer of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Texas Children’s Urgent Care

-Antoinette Wilson, Director of Therapy, Legacy Community Health

-Marcus Twine, Club Director, Houston Texans Teen Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston

“We are grateful to our esteemed panelists for providing the most reliable information available to allow parents and youth to make informed decisions, Appreciation also goes to our sponsors, T Mobile and Coca Cola and to our media partners,” Hattery continued. “The health and safety of our members is always our number one priority.”

With four BGCGH clubs opening this week (two in Wharton, the Holthouse Club, and the Stafford Club), programming will not look the same as it did in years past. BGCGH remains committed to addressing pandemic learning loss, in addition to focusing on the mental and physical wellness of each child in its care. BGCGH will offer a hybrid in-person and virtual model with a lower child to staff ratio to adhere to social distancing requirements.

The Clubs will continue to practice safe and healthy measures for youth who attend in-person programming, including the use of hand sanitizer, frequent hand washing, masks when appropriate, and deep-cleaning of the facility each evening. Registrants will be required to get a body temperature reading each day before entering the building. Parents or guardians must also fill out a questionnaire about the child’s health and any possible Covid exposure.

To get the latest updates on Club openings and other events, please visit www.bgcgh.org.