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Jason Valdez was named 2002 Youth of the Year
by the Boys & Girls Club Southside Clubhouse.
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Published Sunday, November 24,
2002, in the San Jose Mercury News
Field trips would broaden after-school offerings
like
a lot of kids, Jason Valdez grew up with two working parents and
no place to go after school.
But instead of going home alone and getting into trouble like some
of his friends, Jason, 18, started walking over to the Boys &
Girls Club Southside Clubhouse every day after school. That was
six years ago. Now a senior at Oak Grove High School, he's planning
for college and teaching other kids at the club how to play foosball.
He's the games room activity director and resident foosball expert
of the Southside club.
``I don't live in the greatest neighborhood,'' Jason says. ``But
the club has always made me stay on the right path. It's been everything
to me.'' Jason was named 2002 Youth of the Year by the Southside
Clubhouse, an honor recognizing leadership and community service.
As more kids grow up in families with both parents working full
time, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley has striven to
meet the growing demand for after-school care. With four clubhouses
in some of the area's neediest neighborhoods, the organization now
has 2,500 kids on its membership rolls. The club's goal: to keep
kids off the streets.
For $20 a year, instead of going home alone, kids are playing sports,
getting homework help, making friends, cooking, doing arts and crafts.
And on special occasions, when there is money available, they go
on field trips. For many of these kids, this is their first chance
to go to an A's game, visit the Children's Discovery Museum or go
camping. The outings can open their eyes to a new world, says Fred
McCasland, director of the Southside Club.
It costs about $180
per child per school year (26A) to provide bus
transportation and admission to such places as the Exploratorium,
Great America and theater, dance and musical performances.
``All the kids get so excited,'' Jason says. ``Everyone wants to
be first in line.''
For more
information on Boys
& Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley, go to
www.bgclub.org.
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