Courtesy photo.
VENTURA COUNTY — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme is preparing to open its Fifth Street Clubhouse on June 29 to a limited number of youth. It is accepting applications from essential workers’ families, with priority to existing members, for a summer camp, Club CEO Erin Antrim announced on June 30. Other sites of the BGCOP are expected to open at a later date.
“Providing safe, high quality childcare is an essential service and our mission is to do just that, especially for the youth of essential workers, such as farm workers and healthcare workers,” Antrim said. “We have implemented an extensive operations program that was developed with experts in public health, epidemiology and public safety, and are ready to welcome children here to a safe, sanitary environment.”
The Martin V. Smith Clubhouse will be able to provide summer camp programming for 72 youth, ages 6 through 12 from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a team of 14 youth development staff, for a ratio of one staff per 12 youth. The operations plan and protocols for health and safety conform to the requirements and guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and state and local authorities.
Due to the limited number of children it can serve under these guidelines, the Club is accepting applications for the day camp slots for children of essential workers only. Priority will be given to existing Club member families and proof of essential employment is required. If applications exceed slots available, a lottery will determine who can attend.
Youth enrolled in the program must attend at least four days per week for four weeks and must commit to following strict hygiene and social distancing rules. The summer program will cost $100 per week and some scholarships are available for families unable to pay. Complete information and applications can be found at www.BGCOP.org
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) youth service organization. BGCOP’s mission is “to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential, as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” Services are provided in three freestanding clubhouses in Oxnard and Port Hueneme which include a dedicated Teen Center, 12 public school program sites, one club site in Nyeland Acres, one site at a Squires Public Housing, and the first Boys & Girls Club in a juvenile hall in the State of California. The purpose of BGCOP is to provide social, educational and recreational programs to all youth ages 6-18 years old, with an emphasis on those in underserved areas. Annual member dues is $20.00 however, no one is turned away regardless of ability to pay. Over 10,400 youth and teens are served annually. For more information, to get involved or to donate, please visit www.BGCOP.org