Best Place to Volunteer

With activities ranging from sports to arts to technology, it’s no surprise the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington provides a fun place for kids and volunteers alike.

“We’re excited to receive that award,” executive director Jeff Baldwin said. “It’s validation that we are clearly on the right path.”

Baldwin said pretty much anyone can volunteer and they can help out with basically every program and service the club provides, such as the  bicycling club and soccer, volleyball or basketball teams.

The after-school programming provides a safe environment that includes tutoring and help with homework, gym games like dodgeball, art projects and a game room complete with board games and fooseball, air hockey and pool tables. There’s even an aviation program, in which the kids get to sit in the co-pilot seat during an actual flight at the end of the program.

“We pride ourselves on meeting a lot of needs,” Baldwin said.

Working with the club can also be a valuable learning experience for many career paths. Jacobs School of Music students might be interested in the choir and violin club, both of which Baldwin said are volunteer-run.

“Some volunteers are service learners for the University,” Baldwin said, explaining that several classes require students to volunteer in town. He said those students are largely responsible for both the planning and implementation of festivities as well, including the annual Halloween party.

And if someone wants to create a new program, the organization is always open to new ideas.

“We will consider everything,” Baldwin said.

He said the experience of working with children is often its own reward for employees and volunteers, because almost everyone has someone from their own childhood who has “shaped their lives.”

“They recognize how important that is,” he said. “They give back that way, hoping they can be that person for somebody else.”