History
In 1972, the Boys Club of Pueblo, Inc. had its origins in a public housing community center. The following year, the Girls Club of Pueblo, Inc. began serving girls from a 2-bedroom apartment in the same public housing complex. Both organizations maintained an affiliation with their respective national organizations, Boys Clubs of America, Inc. (now known as Boys & Girls Clubs of America, BGCA) and Girls Clubs of America, Inc. (now known as Girls Incorporated®, Girls, Inc.). They both became United Way agencies in the mid-seventies.
In 1991, the Girls Club of Pueblo merged with the Boys Club of Pueblo to better serve the girls and boys of our community. The Board of Directors of the respective organizations realized children in Pueblo County had limited options and opportunities for their positive growth and development; therefore, the two separate corporations consolidated to more effectively and efficiently meet the special needs of boys and the special needs of girls. The merger of the two organizations came at a time when competition for the philanthropic dollar was increasing, community resources were dwindling and community needs were increasing.
After 14 years, the merger has created opportunities for the non-profit corporation to expand services to youth from disadvantaged circumstances. In 1994, a Center was opened on the community’s east side with State violence prevention funds. At the request of a Club in the Lower Arkansas Valley, a Management Agreement was formalized with our corporation to reopen their small rural Club, opened in May 1999 in Rocky Ford. In addition, in 1999 a Teen Center and the Avondale Center were started. Our seventh Center opened in April 2001 on Pueblo’s west side. May 2003 our Teen Center closed due to discontinued federal funds.