The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows Serving Fernley plans to open a new Early Learning Center this fall, a fully fundraised project that will provide childcare and pre-K services for children from six weeks to five years old.
Oscar Aguilar, Area Director for the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows serving Fernley, said during the Jan. 15 meeting of the Lyon County Commission the Early Learning Center is being funded entirely through the organization’s own fundraising efforts, with roughly $4 million raised to build and equip the facility, including perimeter fencing and security features.
“No money would be coming out of taxpayers’ pockets,” Aguilar said.
The ELC would be Phase II of the Community Response and Resource Center and will offer meals, wipes, formula and free pre-K for eligible families, and club officials say it is designed to help address the city’s shortage of early-childhood options.
Aguilar also outlined the club’s current operations in Fernley, where it serves more than 800 youth across its school-based programs and the Community Resource and Response Center, which the club refers to as the Tournament Clubhouse. Daily attendance averages 229 children.
The club operates before- and after-school programs at Cottonwood, Fernley Intermediate and East Valley elementary schools, and transports students from the middle and high schools to the CRRC. Membership costs $20 per year, and Aguilar said no child is turned away for inability to pay.
He said the Truckee Meadows organization supports youth programs in seven counties and uses a shared-services model that centralizes finance, Human Resources, grant writing, training and compliance. That structure, he said, allows local clubs to focus on serving families while benefiting from regional administrative support.
Aguilar thanked the commission for its continued support of the CRRC, noting that the facility has helped families access academic enrichment, food assistance, holiday programs and other services during high-need months. He said many Fernley families rely on the club for extended hours, particularly during the fall and winter when financial pressures increase.
The club hosts two major fundraisers each year, Passport to Party and its annual awards banquet, which help support local programming. Passport to Party features international cuisine, beverage pairings, live music, silent auctions and displays of youth artwork and stories.
Commissioner Rob Jacobson asked whether the club could partner with Community Health Alliance to host mobile health services at the CRRC. Aguilar said the Boys & Girls Club already partners with CHA in Reno and would be willing to accommodate a mobile unit in Fernley.
In closing, Aguilar said the organization remains committed to being a responsible and accountable partner in Fernley and Lyon County. “We do whatever it takes to help our families,” he said.
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