Author: Kelly White O'Neill

Staff and Members Mourn Tragic Loss of One of Our Own

It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the passing of our friend and coworker, Jasun Bautista.  Jasun passed away on the morning of January 11th, 2025. Jasun was a valued member of our team, serving as a Youth Development Professional at our Club Sites, most recently at the Ron Estabillo… Read more »

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Club Members celebrated MLK day at the Railroad Clubhouse, by watching an inspirational video of his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech. Kids did MLK activities in our Learning Center with our younger grades cutting and pasting words depending on where they should go while our older grades did a fun crossword worksheet and wrote… Read more »

Fun Financial Literacy Comes to Evans Park

The very fun financial literacy program, Sammy Rabbit Money School has come to the Evans Park Clubhouse!  Through a partnership with United Way of Northern Santa Barbara County, this effective program helps kids learn important life skills about money and financial literacy. Our members who completed the Sammy Rabbit program had a small graduation where… Read more »

Roberto Rodriguez Elected to Honorary Commanders Program at VSFB

Roberto Rodriguez, the Chief Impact Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, has been nominated to participate in the Vandenberg Space Force Base Honorary Commanders Program effective immediately.  This two year program aims to enhance public understanding of VSFB’s mission and serve as a platform for exchanging ideas, experiences, and friendships between… Read more »

2025 Off to A Very Active Start at Tom Maas Clubhouse

January was a very active month at theTom Maas Clubhouse in Paso Robles.  From art, science, craft and physical activity there was nothing our Club Members missed!  This month, Members took on the Spiderweb Challenge! They worked their way across a web of string stretched from wall to wall, building motor skills while having tons… Read more »

Youth Mental Health Training Takes Priority

We take youth mental health very seriously and are thrilled to announce two of our Club Directors just earned their certifications in important youth mental health identification and response. We are grateful for their leadership in this area. This certification equips them with the skills to provide life-saving intervention and support to individuals experiencing thoughts of… Read more »

Teens Learn Career Tips From Local Professionals

We kicked off our new program series “Meet A Professional” lwith our very own CEO, Maria Fabula. Meet A Professional is a monthly program for all local teens to meet local professionals across a variety of industries and fields to learn about careers on the Central Coast. Maria shared her knowledge and expertise in the… Read more »

An Organized Kitchen Is A Productive Kitchen

Thanks to volunteers from Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) the kitchen at the Tom Maas Clubhouse in Paso Robles is cleaned, organized and ready to continue to be a place of learning, fun, and nourishment for the 100’s of Club Members who visit this site every week.  PEO members from one of the Paso Robles branches,… Read more »

Winter Break Was Packed With Opportunities

The full day program at the Ron Estabillo Club in Guadalupe was packed with fun and learning opportunities during the recent Winter break.  Club kids enjoyed field trips to Rancho Bowl, the MOXI Museum in Santa Barbara and even a beach day!  At the Clubhouse, Members did cooking classes, created art and learned life skills… Read more »

Sharing Our Story With Youth Volunteers

The MUST! Charities Youth Board Volunteer Fair is an event put on each year where different non-profits in the community do a short presentation to explain what they do and, most importantly, how the MUST! youth board members can get involved. We were fortunate to be able to present to this dynamic group of local… Read more »

Deb Jeffers Joins Team as New Chief Advancement Officer

After a national search, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast is excited to announce the appointment of Deb Jeffers as the organization’s new Chief Advancement Officer. Jeffers brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, strategic fundraising, and community engagement, having most recently served with distinction at the American Cancer Society. In her role as… Read more »

What’s Cooking With Our Teens

For the end of Winter Break at the Railroad Club, the teens were more than excited to do a cooking activity. On the menu: hamburgers, with chips and a drink. Although staff supervised, all prep work and cooking were mostly done by the teens. We are looking forward to making cooking a regular activity for… Read more »

College Info Night for Teen Members

To kick off the new year, our Keystone Club hosted a College Night where mostly college freshmen came to speak with high schoolers about their experience in college so far. In partnership with Jeanette Blanco, our former Keystone advisor, we had in attendance five college students from Brown University, San Diego State, UC Berkeley, and… Read more »

Teens Serve Seniors This Holiday Season

Thanks to the generous donations of community supporters and staff, our Keystone Club was able to gift all the items on the wish list for our Christmas Gift Drive for the elderly at the Marian Extended Care Center in Santa Maria. Members helped wrap the presents during one our Keystone meetings and helped personally deliver… Read more »

Christmas “Cruises” by Evans Park Clubhouse

The Viejitos Car Club from Santa Maria “cruised by” the Evans Park Clubhouse to create an amazing Christmas Party! The Car Club members generously donated toys, bikes and scooters. All of our Members were so lucky to be gifted this holiday season.   Also grateful for the staff that helped decorate and set up to have… Read more »

Santa Makes a Special Appearance

Thanks to our friends at the Santa Maria Corvette Club, Santa made a special visit with LOTS of toys for the Members of our Railroad Clubhouse!  With a present for every child, the Club members were beside themselves with excitement to recieve their gift and get to hug Santa!

Annual National Youth Arts Exhibit Showcases Budding Artists

Local youth artists will be showcased and celebrated at an exhibition featuring fine art created by Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast beginning December 13th at the Santa Maria Town Center Mall.  Every year, BGCMCC offers the National Fine Arts Program at all of its Club sites on the Central… Read more »

Shining Our Light in the Community

The annual “Parade of Lights” in Santa Maria was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our Clubs, our Club Members and our amazing staff!  We created a winning float (2nd Place for Youth Organization) with the hardwork and dedication of a lot of staff and Club Members. It’s a night our kids look forward to every… Read more »

Continuous Training Improves Our Leadership

Meghan Harris, our Chief Operation Officer for North SLO Clubs has been part of a 3 year program training COO’s of Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the country.  She recently completed her course with a final session of training known as the “Playmakers Conferene.” Their day began with an inspiring session led by Stacy Blackmon,… Read more »

A Season to Remember: Target and Paso Robles Police Department Team Up for Local Kids

In a heartwarming collaboration, Target and the Paso Robles Police Department hosted an unforgettable evening for 15 Boys & Girls Club Members in Paso Robles. The night began with a delicious pizza dinner at the police station, where the kids got a chance to connect with local officers in a fun and friendly setting. But… Read more »

Shop With A Cop Makes Holiday Dreams Come True

The holiday spirit is alive and well as the Santa Maria Police Department partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast to bring joy to local children through the upcoming “Shop with a Cop” event. Taking place on Wednesday, December 13, 2024, this heartwarming event will treat 50 Club members from the… Read more »

Executive Staff Take Their Referee Skills to State

Roberto Rodriguez, our Chief Operating Officer for Santa Barbara County and Ernie Cuevas, our Director of Healthy Lifestyles, were recently honored to serve as referees for the California State CIF semi-finals football game between Coalinga High School and Highland High School.  As members of the Los Padres Football Officials Association, they had to meet criteria… Read more »

Staff Supports A Special Community Organization

Recently, members of our Executive and Leadership Teams enjoyed a night on the town in support of the Mexican Ladies Social Clubs annual Black and White Ball.  This annual event is a hallmark of the Santa Maria social season and is one of the longest running fundraisers in the community’s history.  Each year this fundraiser… Read more »

Santa Came Early to Santa Maria

Thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of many of our 1st Responders, toys from Santa are plentiful for our Santa Maria Clubs.  Every year, local 1st Responders enjoy their annual “Sweater Vest Classic” golf tournament and have a toy drive for Boys & Girls Club Members as part of the day. We are grateful for… Read more »

Teens Explore College Funding Opportunities

Our Keystone Club had a presentation from Jose Olvera with the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. He shared with members about different avenues to pay for college, including Pell Grants, scholarships, loans, etc and how the Scholarship Foundation has been helping students for over 60 years. The Members really enjoyed the presentation and they closed… Read more »

Serving Local Seniors in Need This Holiday Season

Members of our Keystone Teen Leadership Program are organizing a gift drive for the elderly this holiday season.  In partnership with Marian Extended Care in Santa Maria, they are gathering items from the seniors’ wish list and need the community’s help in collecting items for all of the residents.   If you can help make the… Read more »

Reunited and It Felt So Good

The first ever Board of Directors Reunion was nothing short of a smash hit!  Held at the Railroad Clubhouse in Santa Maria, the evening hosted about 50 current and former board members and family members who came together to reminisce, rekindle relationships and enjoy the Railroad Clubhouse—many guests had not been to the Club in… Read more »

McKenzies Merry Band

Members at our McKenzie Club are participating in guitar, rock band, violin, and choir classes thanks to a partnership with the Guadalupe Unified School District and the nonprofit music program, Infinite Music. The students are enjoying learning their instruments, with enthusiasm and dedication. In the picture, Sebastian, wearing blue, and Nikolai, in black, are seen… Read more »

The Science Behind Cooking

The teens at our Ron Estabillo Club kicked off our STEM challenges by exploring not just the art of cooking but the science behind it. They explored the concept of “Molecular Gastronomy,” which is defined as “a scientific approach to cooking that uses chemistry and physics to create new foods and explore the relationship between… Read more »

Bonfire Party for Teens

We recently hosted our first teen night of the year at our Railroad Club. Our teens were engaged in a variety of games and activities such as basketball, soccer, watched a movie, and just enjoyed time with friends. We were able to get out a bonfire where the teens were able to warm up and… Read more »

Pumpkin Party

The Evans Park Clubhouse painted pumpkins   getting ready for Halloween. We were lucky to have pumpkins donated and have enough for all our members to paint and take home! They got to embrace there inner artist   and paint whatever they wished while having a Halloween movie   play as they worked. It really got… Read more »

Rah! Rah! Rah! for Boys & Girls Clubs

Cheer Club has come to the Ron Estabillo Clubhouse in Guadalupe!  Once many of the older Club Members realized they were all in cheer or gymnastics, they knew they had to bring a cheer team to the Boys & Girls Club!  Now, 17 younger members are learning cheers, chants, and routines and the older Members… Read more »

Longtime Supporters Honored With Prestigious Awards

As part of the National Day of Philanthropy Celebrations in Santa Barbara County, the Association of Fundraising Professionals for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, held their annual awards ceremony.  This ceremony honors the local Philanthropist of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Youth Philanthropist of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year and Professional Fundraiser of… Read more »

Lights On After School in Guadalupe

The Mary Buren School Club Site participated in the National Lights on Afterschool program, held annually at the end of October.  They had booths from the Healthy Eating program serving strawberry and brocoli smoothies, soccer drills, art, Giant Connect 4 game that the GUSD Counselors brought out for everyone to play with and face painting. Kiddos… Read more »

Fall Carnival Fun Returns to Santa Maria

The awesome Fall Carnival returned to the Railroad Clubhouse in Santa Maria thanks to the hardwork of our Alumni Association and the Santa Maria Staff.  After a number of years of hiatus, this event came back bigger and better with over 20 booths of carnival games and activities for the whole community to enjoy.  Kids… Read more »

5th Annual Crush It! Golf Tournament Was An Ace

It was a great day for golf and giving at the 5th Annual Crush It! Golf Tournament held at the Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles on Monday, October 7. This year’s festivities welcomed golfers who hit the links on a gorgeous fall day up in the North SLO County area. Foursomes were invited… Read more »

Strategic Planning With Club Leadership Brought Out Dynamic Ideas

Look out 2025 because we’ve got BIG plans!  After two dynamic days working with Jennifer Porcher Consulting our leadership team and members of our Foundation Board and Governing Board, came away from with strategic planning goals and philosophies to lead our organization into the future.  We spent time learning about our leadership styles, how we… Read more »

Continuous Quality Improvement

As part of our commitment to Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), we recently held a workshop where our NSLO County staff reviewed data from our annual National Youth Outcomes Initiative Survey (NYOI).  The NYOI Survey is given to all of our Club Members–ages 9+– every Winter where they are surveyed an many aspects of their Club… Read more »

STEM Lab Refurbished Thanks to Local Women’s Group

Thanks to a generous donation from the Mexican Ladies Social Club, based in Santa Maria, the STEM lab at the Railroad Clubhouse recieved a much needed face lift and addition of new learning materials.  A paint job, new tables, more storage, and some great new STEM games, activity stations and other resources were also part… Read more »

Pacific Regional Conference a Highlight for Club Staff and Board

This month, four members of our leadership team, along with our incoming board chair, attended the Pacific Regional Conference held in Phoenix—a dynamic gathering of Boys & Girls Club leaders from across the region. For three days, we had the chance to connect with peers, share best practices, and explore new strategies, all with the… Read more »

Fun With Snakes In Guadalupe

Club Members at the Ron Estabillo Club were treated to some great snake education from Michael Kemp aka “The Snake Guy.”  After ther summer “break in” to the Club by a local snake, and the fact that many Club Members are interested in snakes, it seemed like a great opportunity to educate about how to… Read more »

Transformative Gift Recieved From Ag West Farm Credit

Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast is excited to announce a generous $100,000 donation from Ag West Farm Credit to support safety and security upgrades at the Railroad Clubhouse in Santa Maria. This significant contribution will help fund critical renovations aimed at creating a safer, more secure environment for the hundreds of local… Read more »

A Fantasy Fall Ball to Support Our Kids

This year’s Winemakers Dinner was a Fantasy Fall Ball to remember! The event was held on Saturday, September 7, at the Paso Robles Events Center, which was transformed into a magical fairytale land for all to enjoy. Our delightful guests were treated to a gorgeous spread curated by Trumpet Vine Catering, withdelicious hors d’oeuvres to… Read more »

Teens and Neon Go Hand In Hand

The Ron Estabillo Club kicked off our first Teen Night of the Year by hosting a Neon Night Party on Sept 13th. Our teens really wanted to do some painting, both on canvas and on their nails. Ms. Erika brought in all her professional nail supplies. We were having such an amazing time that even… Read more »

Dog Days of Summer Still Provide Lots of Fun

In the waning days of Summer, the Club Members at the Evans Park Clubhouse got to do ALL the things!  They got to enjoy two of the best parts of Summer–a water play day and a pizza party!  The Evans Park Members are looking forward to a great school year and lots of fun programs… Read more »

Partnerships Make So Much Possible

We are grateful for all of the wonderful partnerships we have with organization around the Central Coast that help us in our efforts to provide the best we can for local children.  Recently, our partnership with Foodbank of Santa Barbara County brought their new “Food Boss” program to our Club Members at the Railroad Clubhouse… Read more »

Board Member Receives National Award

Brooks Wise was surprised with a celebration of his service to the Boys & Girls Clubs with a luncheon awarding him a National Silver Medallion by representatives of the Coastal Area Council. Brooks has served on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast for 25 years and has… Read more »

STEAM Going Strong at Tom Maas Clubhouse

Club staff at the Tom Maas Clubhouse in Paso Robles are starting the year strong with a lot of high quality programs for all age groups.  Recently, Club Members spent time doing engineering activities and also learned about Pop Art icon, Andy Warhol.

Back to School Means Back to School Shopping

With generous donations from Kohls of Santa Maria, Old Navy, and the Santa Maria Noontime Kiwanis, our Club Members from the Ron Estabillo Club in Guadalupe and the Railroad and Evans Park Clubs in Santa Maria were able to shop for new school clothes! With the help of staff or local volunteers, Club Members had… Read more »

Teens Kick Off New Year of Leadership and Service

As the new school year kicks off, we held our Keystone kick off meeting at the Railroad Clubhouse. Coming off the excitement of the National Keystone Conference, our Keystone Members were very excited and motivated for this charter year. We created our new group agreements, did some getting to know you activities, and started to… Read more »

Club Teens Enjoy Once In a Lifetime Trip to National Conference

This month, the Red Pandas Keystone Club in Santa Maria had the opportunity to partake in the 57th Annual Keystone Conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia. Keystone is Boys & Girls Club of America’s premiere teen character and leadership program to help develop good character and positive leadership for teens with a purpose to create and… Read more »

School Supplies Donation from Planet Fitness

Through a national partnership with Planet Fitness, our Paso Robles and Santa Maria Club Members benefitted from a very generous donation of school supplies and backpacks just in time for the start of the new school year!  The Planet Fitness gyms in Atascadero, Paso Robles and Santa Maria asked their members to collect school supplies… Read more »

Next Gen CEO Program Creates Youth Entrepreneurs

Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast in collaboration with The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, is thrilled to announce the business launch of the Youth Business Leaders in the Next Gen CEO Program. This exciting event took place on July 19th from 2 -5 pm at the Ron Estabillo Clubhouse in Guadalupe,… Read more »

Zulu Dance This Summer in Guadalupe

Club Members at the Ron Estabillo Club in Guadalupe got the chance to learn some of the coolest hip hop dance moves with instruction from the Zulu Dance Foundation.  This organization has been teaching kids modern hip hop dance techniques through afterschool programs for many years.  Mr. Jericho visited our Club and showed our Members… Read more »

Kiwanis Club Donates to Support Sports Programs

Special thanks to Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria–Nightime Club for their generous donation to help support our sports programming.  We are so grateful that the proceeds they raise from their annual basketball tournament will help local kids access our basketball, flag football, and volleyball programs in Santa Maria and Guadalupe!

Safety Career Week at the Flamson Club

During Summer programming Flamson had a theme week focused on safety and careers.   The Paso Robles Fire department visited and gave our Members a tour of the fire engine. Huge thank you to Fire Captian John Prickett, Captain Jacob Flores, Engineer Sheldon Montgomery, and Engineer Peter Rivera. They did an amazing job answering questions and… Read more »

A World of Summer Experiences in Santa Maria

One of the best parts of our annual Summer programming is the opportunity to plan day-long field trips to kid-centric places in our communities.  The staff at the Railroad and Evans Park Clubhouses in Santa Maria put together an amazing array of summer experiences for their Members this summer.  Kids got to enjoy some of… Read more »

Olympic Fever Comes to Guadalupe

The Ron Estabillo Clubhouse devoted a whole day to Olympics-inspired activities.  All Club Members were split into three teams with corresponding colors:  Germany (black), Mexico(Greed and Red) and France (Blue).  The day was filled with different competitions and games.  At the end of the day, Germany took the gold!

Summer Brain Gain “Visits” Ghana

During Summer Brain Gain–one of the signature Summer programs from Boys & Girls Clubs of America–Members  of the Flamson Club in Paso Robles, learned about Ghana and its culture, food, and architecture. They also made a snack from Ghana and got to to eat it!  KUBE CAKE1/2 cup of date paste1/2 cup of any nut… Read more »

Our Very Own Water Park

Club Members at the Ron Estabillo Clubhouse in Guadalupe had a pretty awesome day filled with water slides, kiddie pool, water balloons toss, and cornhole. Everyone had a great time.

Back A Youth Night A Great Success in Guadalupe

With an Olympics theme, 50 Club Members from the Guadalupe community got to celebrate being a Boys & Girls Club Member with local community leaders at our annual Back A Youth Night!  Over 50 Club kids got paired up with a local adult to show them what it’s like to spend a day at the… Read more »

Guadalupe Kiwanis Continue Longtime Support of Our Clubs

For many, many years the Kiwanis Club of Guadalupe have extended their support to our Clubs in Guadalupe.  This support was so deep, that our newest Club in Guadalupe was named to honor their longtime member, Ron Estabillo.  For our recent Back A Youth night, Ron’s widow, Charlene was quick to let us know her… Read more »

Stollmeyer STEAM Challenge Participants Recieve Scholarships

The Stollmeyer STEAM Challenge is in its second year of funding programs for teens at our Clubs to prepare them for college and career.  Through participation in a series of workshops and activities focusing on all of the STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) attributes, teens have a chance to receive a $1000 scholarship.  Thanks… Read more »

New CEO Takes Over Leadership at Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast (BGCMCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Fabula as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Ms. Fabula brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management and a deep commitment to serving youth and families in the Central Coast community. With over two… Read more »

Boosting Wellness—Nutrition and Fun in Guadalupe

As part of our Healthy Habits programming, Youth Development Professional, Erika, is leading a weekly cooking class all summer long at the Ron Estabillo Clubhouse in Guadalupe.  Club Members learned to make their own mini pizzas and will also learn to make ceviche, sandwich wraps, parfaits, brownies, and salads.

Juneteenth Learning and Celebrating

June 19, 2024 officially marks the third consecutive year of Juneteenth as a federally recognized United States holiday. To celebrate this day, our Members learned more about the history of Juneteenth and created freedom bells. Bells commonly symbolize a beginning or end, they are used to make announcements and mark significant events, and also represent… Read more »

Dunes Center Partners with Ron Estabillo Club

Club Members at the Ron Estabillo Clubhouse in Guadalupe are benefitting from a great summer partnership with Guadalupe Dunes Center.  All summer long, Dunes Center staff are leading weekly workshops at our Clubhouse for all Club Members.  The summer sessions teach about the unique bio-diversity and resources found only in the Guadalupe Dunes region.  At… Read more »

Everybody Wants to Be Part of Boys & Girls Clubs!

The Ron Estabillo Clubhouse in Guadalupe is such a popular place, all kinds of creatures want to be Members!  Club Staff were greeted by a gopher snake when they recently opened for business.  Thinking quickly, Staff contacted Santa Barbara County Animal Control and created a safe zone for the animal while waiting for Animal Control… Read more »

Kids Helping Kids

Must! Charities is a generous partner of Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast.  They operate a youth board and The Must! Youth Board has selected the Boys and Girls Club Flamson Clubhouse as the recipient for this year’s 2024 donation.  The Youth Board members each made a personal commitment to raise $500 to… Read more »

Staff Learning at BGCA National Conference

During the week of May 13-17th four staff members attended the BGCA National Conference in Atlanta, GA. Anna Libbon, VP of Club Success and Mina Donkor, Senior Traditional Clubhouse Director, were also invited to attend the Youth Impact Network training for the first two days of the conference. The Impact Network is a strategic group… Read more »

Golden 1 Credit is a Great Community Partner

Golden 1 Credit Union was a proud sponsor of our recent Back a Youth Night at the Tom Maas Clubhouse in Paso Robles. This marked its second year of being a sponsor for this interactive evening. The credit union generously increased its sponsorship from the $1,500 T-Shirt Sponsor level up to the $5,000 sponsorship due… Read more »

Support for the Annual Winemakers Dinner Starts Pouring In

ReMax Success Charities is a generous supporter of non profit organizations in the North SLO County. They donated $500 towards the Winemakers Dinner happening September 7 at the Paso Robles Event Center. They wish the Boys and Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast great success!

Lots of Learning at the Railroad Club

Club Members of all ages have access to lots of learning at our Railroad Clubhouse in Santa Maria.  TK/Kinder members have been learning about healthy food habits. This includes learning about food portions and healthy food choices. Meanwhile, some of our older Members were visited by a gecko.  One of our Youth Development Professionals made… Read more »

Finishing Strong at Evans Park

Our Members at the Evans Park Clubhouse are hitting the home stretch of the school year!! They still focus on homework during Power Hour and then get some free time in our computer lab! Only a few days left until summer and the kids are ready, but Club staff are making sure they’re finishing strong!

SMART Girls Treated to a Spa Day

Members of our SMART (Skills Mastery And Resistance Training) Girls program were treated to a Spa Day at our Ron Estabillo Club after spending weeks working in this important program.  SMART Girls is a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls in three age groups. Through… Read more »

Drama at our Creston Club

No…not that kind of drama! Drama Matters! a national program from Boys & Girls Clubs of American is underway at our Creston Club and is being enjoyed by a lot of members.  For eight weeks the Club will explore many facets of drama including acting, stagecraft, and other aspects of this performing art.   The goal… Read more »

Sammy Rabbit Teaches Financial Literacy

In a programming partnership with United Way of Northern Santa Barbara County, we were able to offer their Sammy Rabbit Financial Literacy program to some of our youngest Members. The Sammy Rabbit program provides financial literacy curriculum to help children develop savings habits and goals. When the child completes the curriculum United Way, working with… Read more »

High Quality Programming is Always Our Goal

Our Santa Maria & Guadalupe staff participated in an Elements of a High-Quality Session training.  The Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast are committed to implementing High Quality programs throughout all of our Club sites.  Our staff spent the morning learning how to incorporate these important elements into their day-to-day sessions. Planning Warm… Read more »

Hunt for the Golden Eggs

To finish their Spring Break, Club Members at our Evans Park Clubhouse got to participate in a massive egg hunt.  Thanks to a donation of lots of plastic eggs and goodies to fill them, Club Members had fun searching outside of the Clubhouse for their treats.  Two, extra special, golden eggs were the greatest prizes… Read more »

A Little Dust Can Be Beautiful!

In collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club and Guadalupe Union School District, the 50+ Members at the Mary Buren School Club site enjoy lots of engaging activities, including a special chalk-art session led by Sharyn. Sharyn’s vibrant teaching style inspired our Members to explore color blending and create their own unique artworks. Thanks to… Read more »

National Gates Scholarships Awarded to Santa Maria Club Members

The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective national program that recognizes minority high school seniors who have excelled both academically and in leadership through participation in extracurricular activities and community service.  This year’s cohort of 300 Scholars were selected from a national pool of over 56,000 applicants! Scholars will receive funding for the full cost… Read more »

A Little Bit of Hollywood Comes to Our Clubs

We had our moment in the spotlight recently when JNorth Productions came to the Railroad Clubhouse in Santa Maria to shoot a video about what we do and all the great kids who need our services.  Thanks to the generosity of the Chumash Foundation, this highly talented and professional production team was on board to… Read more »

A Pot of Gold Under the Rainbow!

Our annual Spring Fundraiser in Santa Maria asked guests to “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” for a night of fun and philanthropy. Our supporters did not disappoint, and helped us find a pot of gold “somewhere over the rainbow” after an evening of drinks, food, silent and live auctions and a very special fund-a-need appeal… Read more »

Youth of the Year Competition Takes Place in Solvang

The annual Youth of the Year luncheon and speech competition was recently held for all Clubs in the Coastal Area Council.  Youth of the Year is an annual essay and speech contest for teen Members across the country and the first step of the program is for Club Teens to participate at the council level. … Read more »

STEM Never Starts Too Early

TK/K members at the Railroad Clubhouse got to experience building and flying paper planes as a part of our Ultimate Journey program. They learned about flight and seeing who’s paper plane goes the highest and farthest. Ultimate Journey is one of BGCA’s oldest and most successful STEM programs. Developed in partnership with the National Park… Read more »

Generous Grant Given by Central Coast Funds for Children

The Central Coast Funds for Children awarded our organization a generous grant to support our programs in our North SLO County Clubs.  We were invited to attend a grantees luncheon at the SLO Country Club where we were able to mingle and network with other non profit organizations (lots of great ideas for collaboration and… Read more »

A Trip Back In Time

Railroad Club Members went on a Saturday field trip to Fort Hope in Arroyo Grande. There, they participated in many western activities such as archery, fishing, gold panning, adobe brick making and more! Many of them were excited about future opportunities to return, and also share their fun day to other members for future trips!… Read more »

Career Day at McKenzie Club

Daniel and Julia had a booth at McKenzie for career week. They talked to kids in 5th to 8th grade about the different jobs they could do at the Boys and Girls Club. They were excited to share ideas and encourage the kids to think about what they might want to do when they grow… Read more »

Peep Science

At the McKenzie Club, the students had a blast with a cool STEM activity called Peep Puff Mobile, set up by Jeanette, the Teen Services Director. Jessi led the activity and made sure it was both fun and challenging for everyone. The pictures show how excited they were to see who would win the race…. Read more »

Mindful Movement at Evans Park

The Club Members at the Evans Park Clubhouse in Santa Maria have gotten to learn yoga through our Mindful Movement partnership with The Center Yoga Studio.  Lucas the yoga instructor is very good at getting our members to participate and have fun trying something they never thought they would! He brings along some goodies for… Read more »

Dinner With A Young Professional

Our Keystone and STEAM Leadership members from the Boys & Girls Club at Railroad hosted a college and career night, “Dinner with a Young Professional.”  This informative and impactful evening focused on college and career development for our club youth through a speed networking event with young professionals who have recently graduated from their university… Read more »

Mental Health First Aid Takes Priority with our Staff

Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in Mental Health First Aid learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Boys & Girls Club staff recently had an in-service where they… Read more »

Keystone Teen Leadership Club Collaborates with the Paso Robles Housing Authority Youth Works Program

Recently, our Santa Maria Railroad Club teen leadership program, Keystone, visited the Paso Robles Housing Authority to do a Career Preparation Workshop with fellow teens in Paso Robles.  Their  two and a half hour workshop focused on the different roles of project management through an immersive hands-on activity group challenge. Each team was challenged to… Read more »

Kids Cooking Champs!

The next Gordon Ramsey might be getting his or her start at the Tom Maas Clubhouse in Paso Robles!  Our wonderful kitchen and teaching space was put to good use when Club Members got to practice their knife skills, experiment with spices and seasoning, and do some cooking of healthy vegetables for a tasty after… Read more »

Golden State Classic Car Club Provides Generous Donation

Special thanks to the  Golden State Classic Car Club for their recent donation to our kids!  Last year, their charitable giving amounted approximately $65,000 to local youth groups, service clubs and other organizations from proceeds of events. The car club tries to organize monthly social and recreational activities.  Their main fundraising activities include our GSCCC… Read more »

Girls Night In Spa Party

Club Members at our Railroad Clubhouse and invited guests enjoyed a very special evening full of pampering and relaxation as they visited different self-care stations at our Girls’ Night In Spa Social.  The night included make-up tutorials, mini manicures and DIY exfoliating sugar scrub.  Teens listened to some of their favorite music while feasting on… Read more »

Giving the Community The 411 In Partnership with 211

CommunifySB and the 211 Community Information Hotline recently held a community information fair and we were happy to have a booth promoting the programs and services of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast.  As one of 100’s of local agencies, we were able to reach hundreds of Central Coast attendees who were… Read more »

Friendly Competition Among Coaches

Wrapping up our ’23-’24 Winter basketball season, we organized our inaugural Coach’s Games! A total of 42 coaches took part in three basketball contests, with some of our young players officiating and keeping score for each game. The coaches invited their teams to support them, resulting in a fantastic turnout and a lot of enjoyment!… Read more »

Mrs. Cookie and the Creston Club

Creston Boys and Girls Club just partnered  up with the Creston Public Library. Every Wednesday our Members go on trip to the library where they get the opportunity to read books, work on homework and get to participate in activities Mrs.Cookie, the librarian, and her library friends provide for the Club.Our members our enjoying their… Read more »

“Round Up” Your Winnings to Help Local Kids

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mid Central Coast is thrilled to announce it is one of four nonprofits featured this year in the Chumash Casino Resort’s Everi Cares program, which gives casino guests the opportunity to donate spare change to a nonprofit group when they cash in their redemption tickets at the casino’s Everi… Read more »