Mission & Vision
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our History
Founded in 1966, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast (BGCMCC) has a strong reputation for providing safe, educational, and fun programs for local youth between the ages of 6-18. In 2023, we started serving children in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) at selected Club sites. What started as one building—the flagship Railroad site in Santa Maria—has now expanded to two counties and 10 Clubs, with more than 1,500 registered youth members. Through outreach, including sponsored arts and sports programs, BGCMCC benefits an additional 4,000 local children each year.
BGCMCC focuses on providing programs to the youth and teens who need them most. Our programs are designed to achieve priority outcomes for lifetime success in 3 main areas: Education, Character, and Health.
Members reside on the Central Coast of California. Demographic data reveals 85% of members are Hispanic where Spanish is the predominant language spoken in the home, 70% of our members qualify for English Learner support in school, approximately 33% come from single parent homes, and approximately 90% qualify for free or reduced meal programs during the school year based upon state and federal guidelines. To help with that, we provide healthy daily snacks. Agriculture and hospitality are the dominant employer groups in a large part of the region and many of our members come from homes where one or more family members work in one of those industries. Other demographic data shows that 55% of members are male and 45% are female; 17% are teenagers and 83% are ages 6-12.
Current Situation
Boys & Girls Clubs are critical to schools, parents and local families. We provide area youth with a safe place for afterschool programming as well as mentors to interact with. This is vital, now more than ever, with schools cutting programs and services and children finding themselves more and more left alone without meaningful and productive leadership or supervision. Research from the Boys & Girls Clubs has shown, time and time again, afterschool programs play a direct and critical role in fostering the growth and development of young children. Afterschool programs are linked to improved academic success, with exposure programs offered by BGCMCC such as STEAM programs help with homework. Afterschool programs provide a safe and structured environment for young minds and have demonstrated a proven in reduction in risky behaviors by youth and teens who participate in them.
We know that many of our participants have parents who themselves have struggled during these times; through our collaboration with the Santa Barbara Food Bank & San Luis Obispo Foodbank we see many familiar faces accessing free groceries and supplies during this time of rising prices and uncertainty. We don’t just understand the need, we witness it every single day.
