ARKANSAS, USA — The Central Arkansas Boys and Girls Club looks to fill the gap and build bright futures by giving children hope, opportunity, and four walls where they can be themselves.
For more than a century, the sounds of children laughing and playing have become the mainstay of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas.
"These walls provide a safe haven for children, growing and developing them into well-rounded adults in an ever-changing world," said Tyshuan Lothrop, Youth of the Year. "I used to get in trouble all the time."
That has proven to be especially true for teenagers like Lothrop.
"I almost had truancy, because I used to skip school. And I used to walk around my home at like, three in the morning outside and stuff, doing things kids shouldn't do," he explained.
Now, Lothrop is the organization's 2024 "Youth of the Year" recipient.
The 17-year-old has turned his life around for the better and credits several leaders at the Penick Boys and Girls Club for mentoring and leading him in the right direction.
"Without Penick, I'll probably be somewhere probably in the streets," he added.
Previous member and volunteer, Fred Albright, shared similar sentiments.
"When you come through that door and you see the indoor pool, you're like momma I have to go here," he said.
He often reminisces on when Thrasher Boys and Girls Club provided that escape for him decades ago.
"I actually live over here my whole life growing up. I stay right 10 blocks, so I made my childhood friends here," he added.
Now, he volunteers his time teaching young kids how to swim. It's something that he learned to appreciate from the late Luther Armstrong Sr. who was a man who spent decades leading and serving at the Thrasher Club.
Mentors like Armstrong helped keep Albright and many other teens out of trouble.
"The violence at that time in the 90s, 2000, early 2000. It was more violent. So your mom or grandma who raised you at the time was sending you off to go be kids and stay in a safe area, which was the boys club," Albright said.
In 1915, the Pulaski County Boys Club opened. It was a place that was only for boys at the time, and it wasn't until 1971 that the club also welcomed girls as members.
"We are the eighth oldest organization in Boys and Girls Clubs of America. So the clubs have been here. People know us, they depend on us," said Cindy Doramus, CEO of Central Arkansas Boys & Girls Club.
In 2007, the Little Rock and North Little Rock Boys & Girls Clubs merged— becoming the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas.
Doramus explained how the clubs connect lower-income communities with opportunities many children wouldn't have if it weren't for them.
"It doesn't mean we're offering less services. It makes a difference. Because every young person deserves the chance for a fun safe place to go for a place to feel like they belong. Where they are supported and where they have a voice of what goes on in their life," she described.
Today, five locations make up the Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas: Penick, Thrasher, Mitchell, Wetherington, and Whetstone.
All five locations are nestled in what the organization identifies as "resource-constrained neighborhoods."
"Each one will have you know, the programming where we'll focus on education, healthy lifestyles, character development, leadership skills, job readiness programs, serving young people from six to 18 years old," Doramus said.
During the past year, the Boys and Girls Clubs had more than 3,000 members enrolled. The organization also served an additional 5,000 children through its programs.
It has been a place for kids to go, especially during the summer months, while meeting them right where they are when they walk through the front doors.
"They come through. They're not black, they're not white. They're not rich, not they're poor. They're young people who belong to something that's theirs, that they feel safe in that they feel supported in," Doramus explained.
"[It's] just a learning base, starting your life out learning to like pickup habits and traits from the boys and girls club and it takes you a long way," Albright said.
Meanwhile, Lothrop is now preparing for his future, with plans to either attend college or to join the military. And if those aren't a great fit, he said that he always knows where his home is.
"They're gonna have a new employee up here. I'll be their new employee. I hope they save a spot for me at least," he joked.
Registration for summer camp is now open and summer scholarships are available. To register, please click here.