Ashley Echavarria, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces talks with Lorenzo Vasquez, KRWG intern, about what the organization offers and how a new facility will further their mission.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
First question I have, what is the mission statement of the Boys and Girls Club?
Ashley Echavarria:
The mission of the Boys and Girls Club is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
When was it established in Las Cruces?
Ashley Echavarria:
The Boys and Girls Club in Las Cruces was established in 1963. It was actually founded by the Optimist Club of Las Cruces. They're the ones that kind of got together, organized to build, actually at the time it was the Boys Club, after we quickly outgrew our space we moved into the existing building that we're in today in 1965 and we've been there ever since.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
So initially it started off as the Boys Club and then they integrated into the Boys and Girls Club.
Ashley Echavarria:
Yes, so nationally we were Boys Club. The national organization was born in actually 1860 is when it dates back to but they officially came together as the Federated Boys Clubs in 1906 so boys clubs were all over the country and unfortunately it's kind of crazy, but it wasn't until 1990 that it became Boys and Girls Clubs. That's not to say that girls weren't already being allowed into clubs. It was more of a legal thing to get the name added. But in 1990, it officially became Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
And what are some of the programs that are integrated in the Boys and Girls Club that they could have access to?
Ashley Echavarria:
So the Boys and Girls Club focuses on priority outcome areas that include, you know, we want to make sure kids have academic success. We want to make sure they live healthy lifestyles and we want to make sure they have good character and citizenship. So we give them programs that range from sports, fitness and recreation to leadership opportunities to, you know, everything from like financial responsibility classes. The whole goal is that when they're coming to the club also that they're finding some type of a niche, something that they may be interested in that could lead to a career later in life. But obviously being that safe space for them and then providing them with, you know, homework assistance, and during the summer, ensuring that they're still learning. We call it disguise learning, so hopefully giving them some fun in between with learning. Of course, staying physically fitness, being involved in the community. We do a lot of field trips. And then something that I always tell people, I think one of the most important things that we do is we feed the kids. We make sure that every kid has a meal every single day. After school, they get a full course supper plus a snack later in the day. And then during the summer, they get a breakfast, a lunch, and a snack. And you know, I think you can't take for granted what that mill does for a kid. And you never know, we may be the last mill that they have for the night before they come to us the next day.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
Okay, and I want to go back to you guys help them with finding their niche. Does that mean you also help them set up interviews if they find something they're into or interact with people that are in that?
Ashley Echavarria:
Absolutely. So we bring in a lot of different guest speakers. We've had kids who have found their interest, their love for like auto body mechanic because of guest speakers that we've had come in and teach them niches, teach them how to work under the hood. We've had several of our kids get their first job through us. We have a great partnership with Old Navy, and we take kids out there every summer to participate in what's called Camp Old Navy, and they learn all the stuff about retail. And it's not just working the register, but merchandising, how to set up the mannequins, how to stock the shelves, all of that good stuff. And we've had several of our high school kids who have gone on to get their first job there, which is pretty exciting. We also just help teach them those soft skills, like resume writing, how to go through the interview process, and public speaking through one of our programs called the Youth of the Year program. Every year we have kids who they have to write essays, they get interviewed in front of a panel, and then they're selected as Youth of the Year. If they win Youth of the Year locally, they travel to somewhere in the state and compete against other Boys and Girls Club kids from around the country. During this competition, they have to give a public speech, interview again, they have to get suited up. We take them shopping and teach them how to dress for success. And very excitingly, we've had several winners. Two years in a row now, our Junior Youth of the Year has won for the entire state.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
That's a very good fact to know it's not just in the area, it's all over the country and then you guys are able to take the kids and have them compete and be part of something big.
Ashley Echavarria:
Absolutely.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
And I was wondering how are kids able to join the Boys and Girls
Club?
Ashley Echavarria:
So best way to get all the info nowadays, right, is online. So our website, BGCLasCruces.org has all the information about membership. We are open to youth from kindergarten all the way till you're a senior in high school. We have kids that drive themselves to the club every day. So we encourage kids from all over town to sign up. I think that's the beauty of us. We provide transportation for majority of the schools over to the club. There are fees associated with coming to the club, but we never turn a kid away for the inability to pay. High school kids come for free, and we really try to work with the family to meet them where they're at so that they can have access to our services.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
Previous people were like, we're part of the Boys and Girls Club. Do they ever come back and volunteer? here to help you guys out.
Ashley Echavarria:
Absolutely. So, you know, we nationally, we kind of glamorize our huge national alumni. So we have, for example, Denzel Washington. I was just at a conference last week where artist Big Sean was inducted into the Hall of Fame and DeMarcus Ware, NFL football player. We've had a lot of really cool alum that have grown through the club from around the country. Locally, same thing. I have tons of kids. I've been with the organization now for 13 years. So you can imagine, I've seen my fair share of kids. We have some that are on staff. They work for us. They used to come to the club when they were a kid. We have others that come back and visit all the time, some that we see around town. We're really proud right now of one of our club alumni, Emma Cristiano, who's now plays for the Aggie women's basketball team. She was an everyday club kid. I've had her and all three of her brothers, her little brothers still come to us. So really proud to see those alum. But yeah, there's always opportunities to volunteer. Many times they come back in and drop in for a visit. Some Sometimes they come and ask me for a job. And so we've had quite a few of them work for us. But it's always really cool to kind of see the full circle of them growing up in the club and then becoming adults. Now I have a couple that have kids that are almost of age to come to the club. So I'm going to start going through generations, which is also pretty cool.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
That's actually very neat, especially for the couple that you were stating that it started with them. Then now it's going to be that the kids are coming to age that they can see what their parents do.
Ashley Echavarria:
Absolutely.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
How are people able to help?
Ashley Echavarria:
So donations again. Best way to find out more info is our website, BGClasCruces.org. You may or may not have heard, we are in the middle of a $12 million capital campaign for our first new facility. We're very close, but we're not quite there yet. So we're still looking to raise funds for the new building. But the other side of it too is I always remind people, while we're raising the funds for the new building, we're still serving kids today. So every dollar that can be given goes a long way. There's an online donation page. You can stop by the club. We're happy to share more information about either the capital campaign or just giving to our regular operations. Online is a great place to donate, but it's even better if you come by. What I always encourage people is come by and do a tour of the club and let our kids give you a tour and tell you about their experience. After that, you'll be hooked and you'll realize why your donation matters.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
So I want to go back to the new building. Is it going to have the
same activities and everything or is it going to expand further and to getting more people and more activities?
Ashley Echavarria:
So yes, we're really excited about our new facility. We are going to be moving, it's kind of crazy, from 6,800 square feet to 30,000 square feet. So what that means for us is not only the ability to serve tons more kids, but also the ability to just really enhance our programming. So we're going to have, you know, in our current facility, it's old. It doesn't have the infrastructure that's needed or the space, quite frankly, to serve kids that need us, but also to serve kids with the tools that they need to succeed in today's world. So the new building, we will have a state-of-the-art STEM lab, a huge learning center. We'll have a culinary arts kitchen. We will have a performing arts center, an art and woodworking studio. We'll have an entire wing that's dedicated to teens. It's going to be super awesome. The teen wing's my favorite. It's going to have a gaming loft. So, you know, we know all the guys love to game, but what's also kind of cool, which you're probably going to appreciate this, is back behind the gaming loft, there's going to be a media and music studio. So where we can have podcast recording, we'll probably have a green screen in there, music. We've had tons of kids over the years that have learned music at the Boys and Girls Club. Now they're going to have the ability to continue learning it there, but also hopefully record it. We will also have a gymnasium, tons of outdoor space. So you can just imagine the possibilities are endless with what we're going to be able to teach the kids, but also what we're going to get to provide to the community. You know, right now it's daytime, kids are in school. What can we do during the day to maybe community groups, other nonprofits that may need space. We're really interested in capitalizing on that space and looking at how we can benefit the community as a whole. And then I think about late nights, can we open the gym and do open ret nights for teens on the weekends? We already have teen nights at our existing facility. How much cooler are the teen nights going to be in this new place? So we'll have tons of green space outside and space for cookouts and possibilities are endless. We're really excited.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
That's actually very neat. Like for the kids already there and the ones that will be attending in the future, be able to see and get more opportunities and activities to do.
Ashley Echavarria:
Yeah, it's super exciting. We actually had our groundbreaking ceremony a little less than a month ago. But prior to that, because what we did is we bought the old video for movie theaters. So that's our new facility. So, they're working on, well, they're actually pretty much done gutting the inside of the building. So prior to them starting with the construction in there, we had a group of kids go down and they got to start the demolition so they put on the safety vests and the goggles and the hard hats and they got to take hammers at the walls and start knocking stuff down it was one of the funnest days and I think about the core memory it created they got to start the construction of their new building and hopefully by the end of next year they'll be walking into that building and they'll be able to say I help.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
It's actually very big like a memory of starting something basically starting something new and being able to be part of it and as when the new location is done is the old Will it still be in operation or will it be only the new location?
Ashley Echavarria:
We will more than likely sell the old location. The new location is less than a mile away from the old location. The old location, you know, or our current location, I should say, is filled with love, but it's old. You know, you're talking about old plumbing. It was a church prior to us being in it. So probably over 100 years old. You're talking old plumbing, old wiring, old everything. So, it definitely needs a lot of work. work, but it's in a super prime location in the heart of downtown area. So, we're more than likely going to be selling that facility once we move over to the new one. But we're grateful that we at least have a space to be at right now while we're getting the work done on the other place.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
Is there anything that I may have not covered or asked that you would like to express?
Ashley Echavarria:
The only other thing that we have, well, we have a lot going on, but a couple of things that I should mention is on May 14th, we have our 18th annual Lou and Mary Henson Community Breakfast. This is the signature fundraising event for the Boys and Girls Club. We've been doing it every year. Very excited to be bringing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens to town. He will share the stage with our Aggie sportscaster Adam Young. We'll be doing an onstage interview with him talking about his life and his experiences in the NFL. That event is May 14th at 7 A.m. at the Farm and Ranch Museum. We do still have a few tables available. We do anticipate A sellout. You know, everybody waits until the last minute in this town. So, I encourage anybody that's interested to give the club a call, 575-526-1519. And hopefully we'll still have tables available. If not tables, perhaps individual tickets. We have a very limited amount of individual tickets to sell, but we are selling those as well. So that's one opportunity, a great way to give back to the club, and it's a great event. And all thanks to Lou and Mary Henson, who have been longtime supporters of ours. And then the last thing that I'll mention, of course, is summer's coming. So, we are open all summer long, starting June 1st through the end of the summer. We're open 7.30 to 5.30 P.m. here to serve kids ages 5 to 18. We keep them busy. We do field trips, and like I said, we feed them, and we make sure that they have an active, fun, and safe summer. Registration is open, and so I encourage people to sign up sooner rather than later because we do end up with a waiting list every summer, which again is why that new building is going to be so important to hold more kids. But that's just a few things that we have coming. And of course, we try to keep our website updated well, BGClasCruces.org. You can also check us out on social media. Most of our social media is just at BGC Las Cruces, Facebook, Instagram, and I think we're on LinkedIn too. We haven't stretched out to TikTok yet. We'll get there eventually.
Lorenzo Vasquez:
Okay, and thank you so much for meeting today and giving us more information about the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces.
Ashley Echavarria:
Thank you, Lorenzo.
KRWG Public Media would like to thank Lorenzo Vasquez for his interest and willingness to take on any task during his short internship with us. We wish him and all the students participating in the development of a student-run news outlet at DACC the very best! Thanks also to grant manager Denise LaFrance for facilitating the internship and to the New Mexico Local News Fund for making it possible.
