The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to all of us, especially to our kids at Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. As we navigate the changes and new realities, we know that many of our kids and families are some of the most vulnerable in our communities. The parents and guardians of our children work primarily in the sectors that are under the most strain—hospitality, retail, entertainment and in-home services. They are experiencing reduced work hours or business closures, which means smaller and skipped paychecks.
Our staff is doing whatever it takes to ensure our children and families have what they need through these uncertain times. We’ve been providing warm meals, produce and grain boxes and direct financial support. We are facing an unprecedented challenge of providing quality in-person academic assistance to our kids to help mitigate the learning loss they have experienced after more than a year of online school.