This is where I call home

If you asked one of our kids about the Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough neighbourhood, they would probably say ‘This is where I call home!’

What they will not tell you is that the Club is located in one of Toronto’s 13 top priority neighbourhoods - Kingston Road /Galloway and Orton Park. And we are a top priority for a number of reasons.

Our kids face challenges everyday that could very easily lead them down the wrong path. Consider that most of them belong to families who are new immigrants, refugees, Aboriginals and other racialized ethnic groups. Their families experience hardships that come with being considered a fringe group – challenges with finding suitable employment, stress and depression, uncertainty and a lack of financial security.

Click here to learn more about our neighbourhood.

A safe and positive environment

Deeply-embedded issues like poverty, substance abuse and gang-related violence can be common in our neighbourhood. Add to this fact that 13.7 per cent of the kids in our neighbourhood are in that critical development phase between the ages of 14 and 24, where peer pressure and the need for acceptance can be overwhelming. It sometimes seems that the odds are stacked against them.

This is where the Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough comes in. It is our mandate to provide neighbourhood kids with a safe and positive environment – to provide them with Our BEST!

Our services also offer respite to their often over-burdened parents, who have come to count on us as a valuable community resource. By recognizing and addressing the issues that our kids face, we hope to steer them towards the path of building a positive future for both themselves and their families.

The Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough is currently operating at capacity. The number of individuals served has increased 31 per cent – from 12,785 to 16,693 – over the last two years.

Committed to doing Our BEST, the building expansion will allow us to deliver quality programming to at least 200 more youth per day, as well as provide expanded space for other community programs and events.