'Invest in our youth': Racine woman petitions to bring first area Boys & Girls Club to life
RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A local woman is making it her goal to provide local youth with more opportunities and programs to help them learn, grow and succeed.
Born and raised in Racine, Nalah McWhorter knows the importance of building community there.
"I think we, as residents, see the impact of that when we see a lot of our kids dying and a lot of our kids going to prison and not graduating high school," McWhorter said.
That's why it's her current mission to help future generations -- and why she's petitioning to bring the area's first Boys & Girls Club (BGC) to life.
"If you even look at the top 10 most populated cities in Wisconsin, honestly even further than that, we're the only city on the list that doesn't have a Boys & Girls Club," McWhorter said. "As much as we can bring that access to them the better."
The nearest BGC is in Kenosha.
According to the organization's website, if you want to start a club you first have to get community support.
That's why McWhorter created this petition, which has more than 300 signatures in just 24 hours.
"This isn't a Nalah-led initiative, this is a Racine community-led initiative that the community wants to see an investment into their kids, they want to see more programs and spaces for their kids," McWhorter said. "It's a little more difficult to start something from scratch and just recreate the wheel but if you have organizations around you that are already doing the work, already have the infrastructure laid out, to me it was just a no-brainer to bring it to Racine."
While the timeline is still unclear, the next steps are getting more signatures, setting up public listening sessions and speaking with city leaders and officials.
"Just having spaces that are meant and designed for kids that shows them that they belong in this community, that they're welcome in this community," McWhorter said. "I think it really will impact not only just the youth in Racine but everyone who lives in Racine I think will feel the effects of it."
Racine Mayor Cory Mason sent CBS 58 this statement which reads in full below:
“If local organizers choose to pursue a Boys & Girls Club for Racine, the City would be glad to see that effort move forward. We support any community-driven initiative that expands opportunities for our youth.
We share Ms. McWhorter’s passion for creating more opportunities for young people. That’s why the City is investing $68 million in the new King Community Center and health clinic project, which will provide 75,000 square feet of community space right next to Julian Thomas School. And through the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department, the City already operates four additional community centers that offer programming and safe, welcoming spaces for Racine’s youth and families.”