Commissioners asked to support Boys and Girls Club

County asked to commit $50,000 a year

TOP PHOTO: General Sessions Judge Bill Jones spoke about the Campbell County Boys and Girls Club at Monday’s County Commission Workshop. He asked commissioners for the county to contribute annual funding for the “much-needed” club.

By Charlotte Underwood

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- General Sessions Judge Bill Jones addressed commissioners on Monday evening about the Boys and Girls Club of Campbell County, asking for a commitment on reoccurring funding for the newly established non-profit organization. He asked the county to commit $50,000 a year for the organization, which is set to open this August at the Dewey Hunter Center in LaFollette.

Judge Jones spoke briefly about the benefits of the Boys and Girls Club, and what it will do for the children of the county.

“It provides childcare, supervision, tutoring and academic help, programs, snacks to keep them fed, all day care in summer; generally, clubs are open on days schools are closed. It has a place for the kids to go. We desperately need this in Campbell County; we have a lot of children out there really struggling. They are being raised by grandparents and great grandparents, kids need consistency, and a Boys and Girls Club provides that consistency,” Jones said.

Boys and Girls Clubs are known to show measurable improvements within the community. Clubs are open 240 to 250 days a year, have highly trained staff and can provide positive outcomes in academic success and much more. The clubs provide summer activities, Arts programs, Emotional and Social Health Programs, Cooking Clubs, garden clubs, pre-k programs, nutrition initiatives, Youthforce programs for paid internships, technical training camps and so much more.

The mission of the Boys and Girls Club is to “inspire and enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”

“We have a location at the Dewey Hunter Center in LaFollette, the LaFollette Housing Authority is helping us with that,” Jones said.

When the club opens in LaFollette this year, it will be the 26th Club of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, which operates clubs in five counties, including Anderson, Blount, Claiborne, Knox and Loudon Counties.

Rusty Orick asked what kind of funding was needed to run the club annually.

Jones said the current budget for the first year of the club is projected at $223,000 and that they were asking the county for $50,000 a year to be added as a “line item to the county’s budget.”

Orick asked if some funds from the Opioid Abatement money went to Boys and Girls Club last year.

Jones said yes, that $35,000 of the Opioid Abatement money went to the club, but that money had restrictions on it and there was no guarantee on the amount from year to year. He said the club was asking for a line-item contribution from the county that was not using those Opioid funds.

“We want the county to buy into this and the citizens to help make this happen,” Jones said.

He said he had asked the City of LaFollette for a $25,000 annual commitment to the club.

Orick said that Finance would have to look at it since it would be a reoccurring revenue stream.

Commissioner Zach Marlow said he wanted to make sure the funds would be sustainable long-term for the club. Commissioners suggested the request go through the county’s nonprofit committee.

Commissioners Dewayne Baird, who is over the non-profit committee, said he supported the Boys and Girls Club and that it would be taken up in committee. He asked about the expansion of the club to other areas of the county.

Jones said the hope is to expand clubs to Jellico, Jacksboro, Caryville and up the valley.

The first club will be established at the Dewey Hunter Center and will be limited to 50 to 60 children, according to Jones, who said the focus at first would be on the younger kids grade K-8^th. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-03/04/2025-6AM)