The Boys and Girls Club has been an important part of the lives of many students and parents alike. Fauquier County has had a Boys and Girls Club of its own since 1997, which has provided many after-school programs for students to participate in. The Boys and Girls Club of Fauquier is sadly closing after an increasing lack of interest in the club.
Being around since 1860, the Boys and Girls Club has operated with the goal of helping children of any background reach their full potential and allowing them to begin life with a healthy, happy, lifestyle. The sad fate of the Fauquier Boys and Girls Club began during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an extreme decrease in members and donations. The club faced problems that every non-profit faced, but Fauquier’s Boys and Girls Club was not able to get back on its feet after the pandemic.
Chairman, Michael Hammond, has had much to say about the closing of the club and has been deeply saddened by the event. The closing of the club was not much of a surprise to Hammond. He stated, “The staff and board have worked hard for the past two years to find any and every way we can to keep the club open. We’ve explored local partnerships, merging with another Boys & Girls Club in Virginia, seeking funding outside the community and even the state … However, these efforts were not enough to overcome the main issue and that was low membership.”
Funding wasn’t the only cause of the closing. Community support or lack thereof was also a big factor in shutting down the club. Membership in the club has been dropping for several years, with Hammond stating, “Since the mission of the club is to serve the youth of the community and there were less than 10 active members at each site through the 2023-2024 school year and even fewer members for the two months of the 2024-2025 school year. The board could not justify the cost of remaining open to serve so few members when there are other organizations better staffed and equipped to meet the needs of these kids.” The closing of the club is a very big blow to the current participating members, but as Hammond stated, there are other options for those families. Hammond has said that all of the members have been accounted for and taken care of as of Oct. 7, 2024. “We are working very closely with FCCC and Fauquier County Parks & Rec to ensure that our members are being taken care of … We are also providing guidance and program materials to Parks & Rec to help build a tween/teen program with them to serve older members. I know there is still a need for the services that the Club provides and as we close my goal is to work with other organizations to make sure that gap is filled and that these kids still have opportunities to have a safe place they can go after school,” said Hammond.
It’s a shame that a club that has helped so many members of the community has closed. The community may never be able to see what the club had in store for the younger members of Fauquier County. The reopening of the club would “Take a large rift,” said Hammond, and will probably not see a reopening of the club anytime soon.
