For 60 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County (BGCBC) have stood as a safe, supportive environment providing opportunities and transformation for thousands of young people during the summer months and after-school hours. Acting as a stabilizing force for many families, the organization has produced strong community leaders who are now giving back to encourage and mentor today’s youth, including Broward College President Torey Alston, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Ryan Perry and BGCBC Nan Knox Club Director Coach Markes Thomas.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County operates 17 clubs in Broward, including six state-of-the-art teen centers. Their most recent addition was the Heirholzer Teen Center, which opened August 14 at 212 N.W. 16th St. in Pompano Beach, providing mentorship, life skills and workforce readiness with added emphasis on physical and mental well-being.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is to enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Few people embody the Boys & Girls Clubs’ mission like Co-CEO Matt Organ, who has served the organization for 44 years. Overseeing operations, Organ said, “It’s about 90 full-time staff members and about 250 part-time staff, closer to 300 in summer. It’s a pretty large operation with about 11,200 young people a week that we’re providing services for.” And he sees firsthand the lasting impact of keeping the doors open and the lights on.

“Our business is youth development,” Matt explained. “We’re not so concerned about scoring 30 points in a basketball game. We’re concerned about their grades, their future credit score, their financial literacy. That’s the difference.”

 

Four pillars of youth development

Their youth development program is based on four key pillars.

Academic Success: Programs such as Power Hour provide after-school homework help and tutoring, STEM education and literacy support for classroom success and lifelong learning.

“We’ve made a large investment in the areas of technology,” said Organ, adding, “If we don’t stay ahead of that curve, we’re not preparing them for when they go on to their next life after the Boys and Girls Clubs.”

Character & Leadership: Clubs nurture future leaders by encouraging community involvement, accountability and integrity.

While the clubs are not faith-based, Chris Gentile, Co-CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, explained the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County have strong partnerships with churches and Christian organizations, and staff encourage youth to engage in local youth groups and volunteer service. “We have a Boys & Girls Club creed that is about respect and integrity they recite daily,” Chris said.

They also learn to serve others. “We do a project every year with Habitat for Humanity where about 15 or 20 of our kids help build houses. And when Habitat gives the keys to the family, they participate in that ceremony. Our kids don’t have a lot, but they’re taught to give back,” he added.

Health & Well-Being: Through physical activity, nutrition education and mental health resources, members learn to lead balanced, healthy lives. Recognizing the growing number of youths experiencing mental health challenges in recent years, Organ said BGCBC created a Life & Resiliency Department to address those needs.

“We’ve actually embedded some of our Life and Resiliency coordinators inside the different clubs, so they can have free-flowing conversations with kids and really learn more.” These coordinators are trained in social work and serve as a first line of support, helping kids open up, triaging needs and connecting them with professional resources when necessary.

Life & Workforce Readiness: Teen centers focus on career discovery, including career fairs, trade certifications and résumé-building skills.

Recognizing that technology is now central to workforce readiness and career development, clubs are building content media rooms where young people can learn digital skills, produce media and explore career paths in tech-related fields. They’ve also expanded programming to include social media strategy and analytics, giving teens hands-on experience in areas where they can eventually freelance or build careers. “If we’re giving them the tools, not just being in front of it but studying the back end, they can really make money off of that — even consulting,” Organ said.

 

Humble beginnings

Gentile reminded us of the clubs’ humble beginnings in the late 1860s, when two sisters gathered in Hartford, Connecticut, to keep boys off the streets and into safe, productive activities. The first Boys Clubs were opened in Fort Lauderdale in 1965 by a committee of 15 community leaders, including Harry Greep, Hugh Anderson, Samuel Townsend, Davis Weir and George Gore, among others. They utilized two abandoned church buildings at what are now the Lester H. White and Nan Knox Units. In 1990 programming was expanded to include girls, becoming the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County with a mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential. There are now more than 5 million kids involved in Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide, with Broward County playing a significant role as the fifth-largest club in the country.

 

By the numbers

Despite a $19 million annual budget, the clubs keep membership at just $15 a year, ensuring accessibility for every family. For those who cannot afford even that, scholarships are available. “We’ll even ask a child to volunteer, so they have skin in the game,” Organ added.

In addition, BGCBC provides free daily snacks and hot suppers at every club location, ensuring that no child goes hungry after school and reinforcing the club’s role as a stabilizing force in many families.

The support for these programs comes from a combination of grants from community foundations and government entities, community partnerships, corporate sponsors, dedicated donors, community volunteers and strong board members.

The return on investment is powerful: an economic study conducted by BGCBC a few years ago found that every $1 invested yields $18.45 in community benefit. This comes through reduced juvenile crime, teen pregnancy and abuse, as well as healthier families and children who are better prepared for life.

 

A sanctuary in the midst of adversity

For Markes Thomas, known as “Coach Markes” at the Nan Knox Center where he is now the club director, the Boys & Girls Clubs were more than an after-school program. They became his sanctuary after tragedy struck.

At just 13, Thomas lost his mother in a shocking act of violence. Reeling from grief, his grandmother urged him to attend the summer program at the club. The director not only gave him a safe space but a job. From that moment, Thomas says he never had the chance to spiral out of control because the club kept him close, kept him accountable and surrounded him with mentors who believed in him.

“They refused to let me act out after the tragedy. Collectively, they made sure I stayed busy, stayed here, and interacted in programs. That’s why I’m who I am today.”

He recalls one conversation with his director in response to an incident at school that changed his life: “He said, you told me when we first hired you, this is your sanctuary. This is another home for you. It’s like church. Now you have to set examples for others.”

Raised by his grandmother, Essie Mae Gantt Thomas, and his great grandmother, Mary Lee Barnes, who faithfully brought him to Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, Thomas understands now that they knew he would become “the rock of the family.” Even as he faced hardship — caring for a father who struggled with addiction and even rescuing him from danger — Thomas drew strength from his community. Today Thomas is a Junior Warden at Saint Christopher Episcopal Church, and after 38 years on staff at BGCBC, he continues to lead, mentor and embody the faith and resilience that saved him.

“The Boys and Girls Club provided guidance and leadership for me, and it’s our job and responsibility to do the same for this upcoming generation. These children’s futures are in our hands. These are our future doctors, our lawyers, our future nurses, and we have to invest in our future.”

Last year, Coach Markes was accepted into the Alumni Hall of Fame with his friend, Broward College President Torey Alston.

“I am a product of our Boys and Girls Clubs here in Broward County,” said Alston. A strong community advocate, Alston is a former Broward County commissioner and School Board chair. “I’m a longtime supporter of the Boys and Girls Clubs, a former member of the Corporate Board and Alumni Board, so I have seen the mission up close.”

He joined at age 7 and stayed until 18, crediting the clubs with giving him camaraderie, mentorship and life skills that continue to guide him today. “Once a club kid, always a club kid,” he says.

A fourth-generation member of New Mount Olive Baptist Church, Alston said the Boys & Girls Clubs aligned with his Christian values. “The Boys and Girls Club has served as that anchor of support for so many families,” he explained. Many of the friendships he built there still endure today, including one friend for whom he served as best man decades after they first met in the club.

As the clubs celebrate 60 years, Alston emphasizes their significance: “Not many institutions last that long. It speaks to its history, its heritage, its mission.”

 

Alumni who came back

For many Boys & Girls Club alumni, those foundational ties run deep.

When Rear Admiral Ryan Perry of the U.S. Navy returned to South Florida earlier this year for Fleet Week, he made a special request. Rather than head straight to official ceremonies, he asked to visit the North Lauderdale Boys & Girls Club — the very place he grew up as a child.

For Organ, the moment was deeply moving. “That’s the club I helped open back in 1981, and I stayed there for about 10 years,” he recalled.

As Perry stepped out of his car, dressed in his Navy whites and adorned with stars on his shoulders, the reunion was instant. “I looked at him and said, ‘Man, you look familiar,’ and he looked back at me and said, ‘I told my mother you’d be here.” Organ said. “He put on his sunglasses to hide his tears — and I’ll admit, I shed a couple myself.”

Perry, who once roamed the halls as a 7-year-old, spent hours reconnecting with the club and its members. “He just couldn’t believe he was back where he started. He played football with the kids, walked through the building, and kept saying he’d never forget what the club had done for him,” Organ shared.

That connection soon turned into action. The admiral later invited Boys & Girls Clubs youth to tour a Navy ship during Fleet Week, arranged for sailors to volunteer at local clubs and even accepted induction into the organization’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

For Organ, the visit was a powerful reminder of the club’s lasting impact. “You know you’re doing good work, but moments like this validate it. We really are making a difference in young people’s lives,” he said.

Learn more at bgcbc.org

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