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The Dispatch wrote
The Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Columbus will close Friday, ending a 38-year run Downtown.
The club laid off six staff members this year, but the financial challenges remained too daunting to continue, its trustees decided. They announced their decision yesterday.
An estimated 3,000 children, most of them from Near East Side neighborhoods, were served each year at the center. The club offered swimming, bowling, a gym, computer labs and a learning center.
Anthony DiSanza, president of the Salesian club’s trustees, said it served an average of 120 youngsters per day in after-school programs and had more than 250 daily for summer programs.
The Rev. John Puntino, executive director of the Salesian Boys & Girls Club, said he didn’t know what will become of its building.
The brick high-rise is in a prime location across the street from Grant Medical Center.
So, we can have a multiple page, passionate discussion of a streetcar, but when one of the most beneficial services for lower income families AND CHILDREN (remember they’re our future) announces that its closing, the biggest concern is how much the building is and can we get a hostel? Wow, the shallowness of this pool is pretty disheartening. CU folks can mobilize to get behind a bike path, but when it comes to the potential for more kids on teh streets with nothing to do, well, that sucks, but can I get a room there?
I know people who have been involved, both as staff and service recipients, who had been saved from a lot of trouble because they had the boys & girls club to go to. Now, that’s all gone. I recently did a project involving things the kids had written about the club. From what I read, a place that a lot of kids depend on is gone. These kids have found themselves and a better way to deal with issues from going to the club. This is not just too bad. It’s freaking tragic.
I’m guessing the Y will not take up the slack. I know those people and this is not going to be on their radar. If nothing else, they don’t have the space to support the programs teh B&G did.
You are a CU folk.
If you want to mobilize, mobilize. Don’t sit back and sling insults while you wait for someone else to do it.
greenhouse, so we’re to have a 30 page discussion lamenting the loss of this?
Reading through, I got that the Salesian program will help transfer the kids involved to the Franklinton and Milo-Grogan areas. It is tragic to see this go, but at the same time there is still quite a bit that can step in for it-at those sites, the Y, Boy and Girl scouts, CPS programs etc.
I’m sure the Salesian group owns that building (someone correct me here) and a sale would help generate funding for other parts of their programming.
Besides, with this as an inevitability, what can we do? They announced earlier this week that they were closing Friday.
Maybe someone who had connections there could have raised the issue a lot sooner. What’s done, is done-sad to say.
On the flip side, I seem to remember a recent Dispatch article about a different children’s rec center in Milo-Grogan that was not only busy but expanding. I don’t remember the details and I can’t find the article, though. Assuming I’m remembering that right, one has to wonder why one is expanding and another’s closing.
I’d also want to know just exactly how steep a membership fee a club like this would have to charge in order to make ends meet. It might not be prohibitive even for a lower-income community if it could be spread out among enough people and reinforced with charitable giving.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Salesian Boys and Girls Club began its last week of operations Monday, ending nearly 40 years of service to youth in downtown Columbus.
The club attributed the closure to staff shortages, declining program funding and rising costs.
“After reducing expenses, raising additional funds from individuals, community and corporate partners, and continually looking at new ways to continue our mission, we have resolved to suspend operations at this time,†Anthony DiSanza, president of the Salesian Club’s board of trustees, said in a release.
The Boys and Girls Club of Columbus, with centers in the Franklington and Milo-Grogan neighborhoods, will expand to include youth from the Salesian Club and will assist with the placement of staff, said Jennifer Connery, executive director of the Columbus club.
READ MORE
Walking by the building today, I realized that many pediatric hospitals have a “Ronald McDonald” house for families to stay in during a kids surgery. Maybe one good thing out of this would be something similar for Grant.
this really sucks for the kids who live on the east side and their families.
i don’t know what else to say, but i agree about y’all being pretty shallow about this.
What’s the appropriate mourning period for something like this? I have no frame of reference.
It is a shame for the kids.
It is a shame for the kids.
I think that was covered within the first few posts. Honestly what can be done about it?
Maybe if this had been brought up a lot sooner, but it wasn’t. At least while I have been here on the board. If there is any good coming out of this, it’s probably through the sale of the building to help fund the other centers and their programs. Or maybe the Salesians could do something with it themselves as funding generator.
It entirely possible that the B&G club WANTS to close this location so that the buildling can be sold and they can put more money into their programs rather than their building. Their other locations are MUCH more modern and efficient. It could also help them be more attractive to potential funders as fewer $ will go to “overhead” or administrative costs.
You are a CU folk.
If you want to mobilize, mobilize. Don’t sit back and sling insults while you wait for someone else to do it.
First off, I don’t think I slung any insults. The shallow thing was…ok, I guess that could be considered an insult, but I stil stand by that one. It’s like watching someone choke to death at dinner, then asking if he’s going to finish eating, can I have his food?. I would love to see an effort to save the place. Unfortunately, I am only in a positin to botch right now as heading up that kind of thing, and staying committed to it, are not in my available time. Sucks for me. However, if someone else were to pick this up, someone with the right connections, some organizing experience, etc., I would be appy to help. Some peple just don’t have “activist” in them.
yeah, lke that makes any kind of sense. If tey wanted to close the place, do you really think they’d go about it lke this?
Maybe someone who had connections there could have raised the issue a lot sooner. What’s done, is done-sad to say.
yeah, lke via colori
You are a CU folk.
If you want to mobilize, mobilize. Don’t sit back and sling insults while you wait for someone else to do it.
First off, I don’t think I slung any insults. The shallow thing was…ok, I guess that could be considered an insult, but I stil stand by that one. It’s like watching someone choke to death at dinner, then asking if he’s going to finish eating, can I have his food?. I would love to see an effort to save the place. Unfortunately, I am only in a positin to botch right now as heading up that kind of thing, and staying committed to it, are not in my available time. Sucks for me. However, if someone else were to pick this up, someone with the right connections, some organizing experience, etc., I would be appy to help. Some peple just don’t have “activist” in them.
yeah, lke that makes any kind of sense. If tey wanted to close the place, do you really think they’d go about it lke this?
Maybe; I didn’t see anything in the article to indicate otherwise. All the “chapters” of the B & G clubs in columbus were merged earlier this year.
i don’t know what else to say, but i agree about y’all being pretty shallow about this.
We should have a contest to see who can write the best “this sucks” sentence to prove once and for all who is the least shallow.
So if we’re keeping to the “choking” analogy, your position of sitting and watching and doing nothing but saying “oh man, i wish i could help, but i don’t have time right now” is a much better one than anyone else?
Give it a rest. No one is taking any joy in watching this place close. Curiosity towards what the building will be used for next is something that will cross everyone’s minds whether or not they pose the question online.
i don’t know what else to say, but i agree about y’all being pretty shallow about this.
We should have a contest to see who can write the best “this sucks” sentence to prove once and for all who is the least shallow.
So if we’re keeping to the “choking” analogy, your position of sitting and watching and doing nothing but saying “oh man, i wish i could help, but i don’t have time right now” is a much better one than anyone else?
Give it a rest. No one is taking any joy in watching this place close. Curiosity towards what the building will be used for next is something that will cross everyone’s minds whether or not they pose the question online.
How come every time someone disagrees with you, its “give it a rest” or “we’ve covered this before” or something like this. Can I please have an opinion and can I please voice it?
Actually, to use your interpretation of my analogy, I would probably be saying, WOW, I wish I had the training and the knowledge to help that choking guy so I don’t fuck him up even worse than he is now (used to teach first aid, it happens). I’ll grab a phone and call 911, though.
all i’m saying is, it’s pretty gross that the first thing most of the members of this board think of is OMG WE COULD TURN IT INTO CONDOS!
Gosh I hope they rip it down for another parking lot. No, wait, let’s leave it vacant for 20 years like the Seneca.
Ok, this thing is in my neighborhood, I personally was voicing my concern based on that, and trust me it is a concern. This bs about not caring about the kids…it is bs. The place is closing, ten to one they want to liquidate an asset as many of these religious organizations are doing nowadays with growing costs across the board.
Here’s a clue, rather than calling everyone a bunch of selfish morons, why don’t you take some initiative and start a thread about how we can do something to stop this? If you have nothing to offer then you’re no better than the rest of us. In fact you’re worse, because not only are you “clueless” as the rest of us are to stop it, but you want to start shit when really there is nothing to fight about.
Instigators. Grow up.
If it’s not viable as a nonprofit, then someone needs to find a profitable use for the space, or it’s going to end up getting torn down. Lowest common denominator. I’m not saying that means condos; my guess is that someone will at least explore the option of turning it into a for-profit rec center first, before considering more dramatic alternations in its function. However, everything has to be on the table at the outset.
There’s a difference between “the first thing you think” and “the first thing you post”.
And a small handful of people is hardly “most members of this board”.
When I said “give it a rest”, I’m wasn’t referring to you voicing an opinion on the topic, I’m referring to you casting judgement on others in the process. It makes it seem like you’re trying to draw attention away from your actual opinion and just point out how much better you are than everyone else because you have more online sympathy.
hey now that YOU mention it, condos are a pretty good idea. And for the record, the article made it pretty clear that all the kids are going to get moved to alternative locations and recieve the same kind of programs.
BUT, you make it sound as if it’s, “sorry kids, but the downtown boys and girls club is closing, we’re going to have to kill you now,” all the while a bunch of stuck-up yuppies sit around online and pick through theyre remains and laugh. Which clearly is not the case. I’m sure its an inconvenience for the families and i sympathize, and yes this is a big loss to downtown. However the kids will be looked after (I am sure they’re the number one priority for the club as always), they will still get quality programs from quality staff, and worse things could have happened… So the next logical question inevitably becomes, “What will happen with the building?” Cmon, we don’t really have to fly the flags at half staff for that long over this one guys.
If you look at my comments, my first was of extreme regret for the loss of the Salesian and the invaluable services they provided to the community. It’s a bigger blow to downtown’s and the overall community’s general well being than most people may suspect.
The second was just an attempt to answer someone’s question. I think how much the building fetches is a relevant question, It could be very important to the Boys and Girls Club, especially if they decide to try to relocate elsewhere (although it seems doubtful as those facilities will be very hard to replicate).
I’m really not concerned with what goes in there at this point, I’m just sad my friends are leaving.
I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear.