OSHKOSH—The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is pursuing a $16 million-dollar expansion of its facility at its Parkway Avenue building to accommodate the growing number of children and families seeking club services.
The project gained a boost from a $1.6 million grant from the Oshkosh City Council, allowing the club to move to its community campaign phase of the project.
Currently, average daily attendance has been up 70 percent, with over 800 children using club services each day. The club serves about 1,800 children each year through direct service and is one of the largest agencies in Oshkosh that provides basic needs to members and their families.
The club provides back-to-school support, onsite showers, clothing support, hygiene supply support, rental and bill assistance, meals, mental health services, and other services for an annual fee of $25 per child. The goal is to make sure families who are receiving these services are then working their way to self-sufficiency.
Each summer, the club has a waiting list of more than 100 kids. A second site was added in 2020 at Peace Lutheran Church, but the club continues to have a waiting list. The club currently has after-school programming in 14 schools including Omro.
“It has been 18 years since our last major capital campaign building project,” said Mark Lasky, campaign chair and board member at Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. “The Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh continues to meet the needs of children and families in our community and serve as stewards of the public’s trust in us. This expansion project will allow us to collaborate with existing agencies with expertise and create self-sustaining skills and resources for the kids and families we impact.”
During the last year, the club purchased 12 houses along Monroe St. in preparation for the building expansion project.
The 5-part capital project, led by contractor and long-time friend CR Meyer, will include an expansion of the classroom space in the Radford Center side of the building that will double the number of children (ages 6-10) the classrooms can serve to 80.
The club’s current Teen Center will be renovated along with the current administrative offices to double the middle school (ages 10-12) program space. A new addition will include a second-floor teen (for ages 13-18) space, a new administrative wing, and a community center for other local agencies. A second gym and a new outdoor space, including a new playground, a courtyard, and an all-purpose field, will be added to better accommodate the 300 plus children the club serves daily. With the new expansion, the club will be able to serve an additional 150 youth daily.
“This is going to be a transformational project, not just for the kids and families we serve, but for many others in the community that will use the services provided by the club and the other organizations who will be located in the new building’s community center,” said Tracy Ogden, CEO at Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. “Now is the time when we’re looking to the community, who has always rallied behind us, to support us in this next important phase for the club.”
Jeff Trembly, board president at Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, said with the added space and resources, the club will fuel partnerships and collaborations to help kids, teens, and families to overcome everyday challenges and obstacles they routinely face.
For tours of the Club or to make a gift, contact CEO Tracy Ogden, at 920-233-1414 ext. 116 or tracyo@bgcosh.org. Gifts to the building project can also be made online at bgcosh.org.
