An ode to our children’s safe haven

Time flies when you are having fun. So, it is hard to believe that

the Burbank Boys and Girls Club has been open for 10 years. It seems

like yesterday that the first few neighborhood children showed up for

the free popcorn, hot dogs, soda at the ribbon-cutting, kick-off

ceremony, Sept. 9, 1995.

Over the last 10 years, I noticed how the organization had become

a home away from home for a lot of its young members. Furthermore, I

realized that these children were becoming more positive, confident

and were also learning self worth, usefulness, teamwork and how to

express themselves more effectively.

I saw them developing a real spirit of community as well as, what

I believe, the feeling of belonging to something important, something

decent, a place that could change their young lives for the better.

This impressed me very much, and it was then I realized just how

important the club really is to so many of our children.

Children are America’s most important and greatest assets. They

are more precious then all the rice in China or gold in Fort Knox.

Our children are the future of this great country. And because

America is so powerful, in the scheme of world events, our children

will most likely change the future of this planet. So we as adults

and parents must be incredibly careful with this precious commodity.

We must remember to handle our young with extreme care. Moreover, we

must always bear in mind that these little people can become bruised

and broken very easily. We see the results of children that are

neglected and abused every day in the news.

Youth can be an incredible and wonderful time in our lives. It is

a time when life is uncomplicated and dreams still can come true. But

for some children, life is not a dream, it’s a nightmare.

Furthermore, this can also be a time when a child is often too weak

to protect itself from a world they cannot really comprehend. As a

father of four, I often worry about, drugs, gangs, peer pressure,

kidnapping and a host of other things that can affect and maybe

destroy our innocent children. Anything can happen if you’re not

vigilant and cautious with your children.

We as parents should not be fooled. Burbank does have juvenile

delinquency and gangs. Some Burbank children are getting jumped,

beaten up and often forced into joining these gangs. Fortunately, for

many children, the Boys and Girls Club is a sanctuary from these

strong-arm tactics; it is also a safe-haven from bullies who prey on

our young and innocent. The club has no tolerance for gang members.

If you belong to a gang, you cannot belong to the Boys and Girls

Club.

With all the peer pressure a child and teenager has to face in

today’s mixed up world, along with temptations, like gangs, drugs and

sex, the parents and citizens of Burbank are fortunate to have such a

dedicated organization to help our children resist these enticements.

For a lot of children, who are in a high-risk lifestyle, joining the

club could mean the difference between success and failure, a good

job or jail.

In the blink of an eye our children will grow up and enter the

real world. Hopefully, they will have had the opportunity to learn

the skills necessary to survive and prosper. Many of these children

are considered highly at risk. And because of organizations like the

Boys and Girls Club, these children will be able to participate in an

organized and structured program. The Boys and Girls Club is also a

proven and effective way in combating juvenile delinquency. The club

gives them personal contact with trained volunteers and staff members

who often serve as roll models and mentors. In addition: the club

keeps our children off the streets and provides them with a positive

environment. At the club they will receive a lot of encouragement and

counseling, as well as being involved with sports and educational

activities.

The Boys and Girls Club is a place where any child can fit in. It

is a very special place for the young person. Sometimes it is the

only place a child has where someone will listen to them and their

problems. The club and its staff give the youngster a sense that

someone cares about them and their future. The Boys and Girls Club

has an excellent program designed to give the youth a chance to

achieve something and excel to their best potential. Whether it’s in

sports, art or education, the adolescent gains self-confidence, which

will help prepare them to succeed as an adult.

More important, the Boys and Girls Club is one of the few places

able to reach out to children that cannot be helped by schools,

churches and law enforcement.

In addition, the Boys and Girls Club has a great record for

turning around a large number of our at-risk children. And without

places such as the Boys and Girls Club, they might find their fun in

the streets, back seats of cars, gangs or in other dangerous places.

Helping to guide these sometimes-confused children, and making sure

they get back on the right track, is an important goal at the club.

So this makes the Boys and Girls Club one of the most important

organizations in Burbank.

Over the last 10 years, thousands of children have gone through

the doors of the Boys and Girls Club and have come out young adults

on their way to becoming happier and more industrious citizens. I

still run into a some of the children who were at the grand opening a

decade ago. Most of them are now productive young adults.

I was very proud to be a member of the Board of Directors on that

very special opening day, Sept. 10, 1995.

And I’ll remember my time on the board, and the months I spent as

the interim executive director, as one of the most gratifying and

rewarding things I’ve done while living in Burbank. Furthermore, I

will always be thankful I had the opportunity to serve and

participate in such a worthwhile endeavor.

For more information on how you can help the Boys and Girls Club,

please call (818) 842-9333.

* KEVIN MCKENNA is a Burbank resident and executive director of

Investigative Documentaries Educating American Society.