The Boys and Girls Club at Marie Antoniette and Dulles was recently named by the organization as the club of the month.

Unit Director Joe Long says the main purpose is to be there when the kids need the club the most – which is after school.

“From 3 to 7 p.m. when someone may not be home for them. We are here to help with homework, give them activities, give them stuff to do rather than being home alone and without friends.”

The director of resource development, Paige Kriegel says all the money raised helps keep the doors open at all Boys and Girls Clubs throughout Acadiana.

kriegel says that includes facility upkeep, utilites and program supplies.

“We have tap dance classes, we have a cafe, we have a t-shirt printing company… we have a lot of different things that kids can do afterschool that they might not can find at a different afterschool program.”

Kriegel explains the clubs have to keep the kids interested and involved.  The activities need to be creative and that’s what the clubs do.

“The kids have fun here. They do all kinds of different activities and it defintiely keeps them busy because after school is probably a very important time to have a lot of down time for kids and you dont want them to be into trouble.”

Unit Director Joe Long says this is the second time he’s worked for the Boys and Girls club.  He says what brought him back is seeing what the programs do for the kids who participate. “Seeing those kids grow up from age nine, twelve, 15 to 18. Then later seeing them later-on in life, and knowing that I had an effect on them, that’s one reason I came back to the club and believe in this organization.”

The unit director says on any given day – in terms of foot traffic – he sees about 150 kids come through these doors.  During the summer time he says that number goes up to about 200.

In Lafayette, Renee Allen KLFY News Ten.