The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows is seeing growing use of Fernley’s Community Response and Resource Center, with club officials reporting increased attendance, thousands of meals served and nearly 18,000 bus rides provided to local children.
Mike Wurm, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, and Fernley Area Director Oscar Aguilar gave the City Council an update Aug. 19 on programs at the center and improvements being made to the property.
Through a partnership with the Lyon County School District, the club offers a grant-funded 21st Century after-school program providing free care for children ages 6 through 12 who are still in sixth grade.
Since moving into the Community Response and Resource Center, the club purchased an 80-passenger bus and has provided nearly 18,000 rides for members traveling to and from school, Aguilar said.
The center’s kitchen has also allowed the club to expand its meal program. More than 14,000 meals were served during the school year, with another 8,000 meals served during the summer.
The club also saw a sharp increase in summer participation. Aguilar said the program was serving about 114 members daily at the beginning of summer 2025. This summer, average daily attendance reached approximately 223 children.
Summer offerings included specialty camps, soccer, Junior Giants baseball, field trips and a teen program that regularly drew 30 to 40 participants. Special teen barbecues attracted as many as 50 to 60 young people.
The club also partnered with the Michael Phelps Foundation to provide free swimming lessons to nearly 70 children. Because the Fernley swimming pool was unavailable, the lessons were held at the Churchill County pool.
Club officials also updated the council on improvements to the Fernley property, including perimeter fencing intended to increase security while children are attending programs.
Wurm said the fencing allows staff to better control access to the property and ensure that adults entering during program hours have completed required background checks.
A new 60-by-90-foot asphalt area has also been added behind the building. Officials said the space will provide additional room for outdoor programming and community events while helping reduce the dirt and mud children previously tracked into the facility.
Possible future uses include basketball and other recreation, although club officials said they want to preserve the flexibility of the space for larger events.
Council members also thanked club staff for their work during the recent fire, when the Community Response and Resource Center was used as intended as an emergency gathering and response facility.
“We loved seeing that facility used,” Wurm said. “That was one of the main purposes.”
The Boys & Girls Club plans to continue expanding programming at the Fernley facility as use of the center grows.
Comment
Comments