Company Profile
Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound
Company Overview
The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound (BGCSPS) is a non-profit organization that CHANGES LIVES through quality programs and guidance in a safe, affordable and fun environment. BGCSPS’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. We have been providing a safe, fun and positive environment at our sites with trained and dedicated professional staff for more than 81 years. Members are involved in age-appropriate activities based upon our three priority outcomes of Academic Success, Character Development and Healthy Lifestyles.
Company History
The Boys and Girls Club Movement began in the United States during the Civil War. Its inception is traced to Hartford, Connecticut with the formation of the Dashaway Club to serve needy boys in the community. Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its beginnings in 1860 when several women, believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, organized the first Club. A cause was born. The idea spread to other areas of the country and more Clubs were formed. The first Club to use “Boys Club” in its official title was the Boys Club of New York in 1876. At this time, the Clubs served only boys.
In 1906, the existing 50 Clubs joined together to form a national organization known as the Boys Club of America. The Federated Boys Clubs in Boston was formed with 53 member organizations.
In 1940, BGCSPS starts at 25th & Yakima in Tacoma.
In 1956, Boys Clubs of America celebrated its 50th anniversary and President Eisenhower gave the national organization a Congressional Charter – a rare honor bestowed on only a few non-profit organizations in our country’s history.
In response to a growing need, the Boys Clubs began to also serve girls. In 1990, the national organization officially changed its name to Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Today, there are over 4,000 Clubs in the United States serving over 4,000,000 members. There are similar organizations in Germany, Australia, Canada, and many other countries around the world.
Today, BGCSPS serves more than 1,600 youth each day at 9 Club sites and 4 school sites in Pierce, Mason and Kitsap counties and in partnership with six school districts (Bremerton, Clover Park, North Mason, Peninsula, South Kitsap, Tacoma).