photo by: Contributed photo

Addison Tucker, a staff member for the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, meets with students for the club's virtual programming. The club is offering virtual programming as its facilities and school sites are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite school closures because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence continues to provide after-school programs and regular meals to local youth.

Some students appear to be taking advantage of the ongoing virtual programming on a regular basis. Alissa Bauer, a spokeswoman for the club, said a daily average of 50 students from kindergarten to high school attend the club’s virtual programs.

Although that’s only a fraction of the hundreds of local students who regularly attended the club’s programs prior to the pandemic, Bauer said the club is pleased with the amount of student participation. But she noted the club would be happy to see more.

“With the virtual programs, we love seeing any and all faces,” Bauer said. “It sounds so cheesy, but we really miss them. We’d be happy with one or 1,000 (students).”

Much like schools across the state, the Boys and Girls Club’s facilities are closed to the public during the pandemic. That includes its teen center and its many sites at elementary schools in Lawrence. But the Lawrence club is still providing much of its normal programming through virtual avenues.

The club said in a news release that some of its virtual programming includes its educational enrichment programs and its activities promoting healthy lifestyles. The club also continues to provide tutoring help for students who are still attending classes through the Lawrence school district’s remote online learning programs.

Additionally, middle school and high school students would normally have access to an evening meal through the Boys and Girls Club. With the facilities closed, the club is providing free meals to all Lawrence families who need it.

The club’s curbside meal service is providing packaged meals and pantry items to any family from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Center for Great Futures, 2910 Haskell Ave. The meal service has seen many families participate, with the club supplying an average of 130 meals a night, Bauer said.

Club CEO Monica Dittmer said in a March news release that the meal service was important for the club’s members.

“We want to make sure our kids still get to interact with us through virtual programming, of course. But if they don’t have what they need from a nutritional standpoint, then we can’t begin to reach them from a programming level,” Dittmer said in the release. “Everyone in our community is feeling the devastating effects of this pandemic through loss of income or jobs being put on hold, and we want to help whole families as much as possible.”

The Lawrence chapter said its meals service is possible because of money received through a $700,000 donation from the Capitol Federal Foundation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kansas.

“This incredible donation will help us ensure that we can provide meals-to-go and that we can continue to provide interactive programming from a virtual perspective,” Dittmer said. “We are eternally grateful.”