Meals, tutoring and online help for kids at Boys and Girls Club and Downtown Boxing Gym
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Depending on what parents decided in Detroit, some kids are going back to the bell. While others are staying at home because of COVID-19.
"We are the bridge between school and they're out of school time," said Gavin McGuire.
That bridge is the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan. They are opening Learning Labs on September 8th, in Detroit, Highland Park, Pontiac, and Auburn Hills to club members between the ages of 6 and 18.
The Hours are between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Meals, tutoring, and the internet to make sure kids have a place to go if they can't go home.
"I know it's tough, as you mentioned for adults, we have been in the Zoom and web culture and we get fatigued," he said. "Kids are expected to perform and I think it's also important to set the environment and just to make sure they not only have the tools and resources from a physical standpoint and technology standpoint but also have caring adults and caring people around them, that can make this journey less filled with angst and anxiety."
They're teaming up with another pillar in Detroit - The Downtown Boxing Gym, which will also be offering similar services to families. They will be open for nearly 12 hours a day to offer free resources and a safe place to go for students.
"Our students will be with us from 7:30 in the morning until seven at night, we're offering four options to our parents so we can be supportive given the schedules that our families are up against," said Jessica Hauser. "So the impact for families is just that constant support so that no parent has to worry what am I going to do with my child when I have to go to work and I have to be on the computer and our internet is not stable? And they may or may not have a laptop. At least they know they have a really strong resource."
A resource that serves as a relief for dads and moms in Detroit. The Boys and Girls Club and boxing gym throwing a punch to the Consequences many parents are left to deal with.
"Just to have another really solid, strong organization in the city putting children first, has been one of the most powerful experiences that we have had in a long time," Hauser said. "To have a thought partner, especially in such scary times has been really necessary to be able to then go back to the school district with not just being us but having a partner in this."
"The whole focus has been on the kids and the families we serve and so we've been able to benchmark a lot of things about safety," McGuire said. "We've been able to manage a lot of lessons on things that they do great and introduce them to some things that we have strengths in. But more importantly, combining our resources to make sure that kids and families have what they need."
Both organizations need support, to learn more or donate to them, here are their websites: