By Stacee Sledge
Kristina Kross-Joslin is a front desk manager at the Tumwater Boys & Girls Club, but her experience with the youth development organization goes back to high school, when she and her sisters spent every day after school and dance practice at the Club.
“I’m the oldest of five kids, and then my mom remarried and her husband had two kids, so there were nine of us all together,” Kristina, now 23, says of the busy household she grew up in. “Three of us were in high school together and my mom worked, so we just came to the Club after dance practice.”
Kristina, her sister Melissa Kross-Joslin, and their younger sister, Dani Adams, have all succeeded thanks to the support of the Club – Dani was even named Youth of the Year when she was a Club member. Dani now attends Western Washington University and works at the Tumwater Boys & Girls Club on her summer breaks.
But the family connections don’t end there. Younger siblings Jen Adams and James Adams have continued the Boys & Girls Clubs success stories: Jen is a former member and now works for the morning program at the Club, while James is a current Club member and also a former Youth of the Year.
This year marks the 10th anniversary since Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County opened the doors of that first Club, on the campus of Tumwater High School.
The organization now serves more than 2,300 Thurston County youth from 5 to 18 years old with four locations. Its mission is to inspire and enable young people, especially those in need, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible citizens.
BGCTC offers programming in five key areas: character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; and sports, fitness and recreation.
Dianna Lance was initially dubious about sending her daughters to the Boys & Girls Club.
“Honestly, I was a little annoyed,” Dianna says with a laugh. “I may have been pretty much a single mom, but I always knew where my kids were. I was bound and determined not to let anyone else raise my kids.”
Dianna’s initial irritation stemmed from a common misconception that the Boys & Girls Clubs are only for children who might be lacking parental guidance.
“As a parent who was trying to keep their kids going in the right direction I was a little annoyed, because my understanding was the Boys & Girls Club was for the kids who either didn’t have parents around or didn’t care – and that wasn’t me.”
It took some time, but Dianna came to realize that her kids fit in just fine at the Club and their being there didn’t take anything away from her strong parenting skills.
“It’s just for anybody,” Dani says of the Boys & Girls Clubs. “It’s a really good hangout spot for kids after school.”
Dianna had returned to work after eight years staying home to raise her family. The drive from their home in Little Rock to Tumwater High School was 20 minutes each way.
“Once they hit junior high, my rule was that they had to be in some sort of activity. I didn’t care what, I wasn’t going to choose for them, but they had to be in something,” says Dianna.
The girls chose dance and tennis – and Dianna quickly realized the logistical headaches involved in getting everyone where they needed to be and back home at the end of the day.
“It was easier to send them all to one place so someone could pick them up at once,” Dianna says.
“It was really nice to have that convenience,” says Kristina. “Not only for us, but also for my mom. And it didn’t cost much.” Yearly membership fees, per student, are just $25.
Kristina and Dani both smile when asked about their after-school experiences at the Tumwater Boys & Girls Club.
“We were able to hang out and be with our friends,” says Kristina. “They have pool games, ping pong, video games, movies – so many different things to do.”
“Art activities were always fun,” says Dani. “And I liked the education room; that’s where I worked last summer. We did an egg drop and made paper airplanes to see how far they could fly.” Dani also loved when they played in the gym, saying it reminded her of elementary school.
Hearing Dani speak about her respect for the Club staff members, it’s no surprise that she became a junior staffer while still in high school, helping staff members run activities, and now works at the Club when she’s home from college. “I loved all the staff members, they were really fun to hang out with and were just really cool people,” Dani says.
Each year, area Club picks one member as their Youth of the Year. Dani and brother James have both been honored with the title. “I thought that was awesome,” Dani says. “It felt really nice to be appreciated.”
And now Kristina, Dani, and Jen are paying it forward, as staff members sharing their experiences as members of the Club with today’s kids. It will be no surprise when James also follows in their footsteps.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County’s 10th annual Foundation For The Future 2012 Breakfast takes place Thursday, May 31, 2012, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Saint Martin’s University in the Marcus Pavilion.
The event is free for attendees, but it is a fundraiser and guests will be invited to consider a donation to support the incredible mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs. Please call 360.956.0755 or visit www.bgctc.org for more information.
For more information about each of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County locations, visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County website.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County
905 24th Way SW, Suite B3
Olympia WA 98502
360.956.0755
Tumwater Club on the Tumwater High School Campus
600 Israel Rd. SW
Tumwater WA 98501
360.570.8888
Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Olympia Club at Jefferson Middle School
2200 Conger Ave. NW
Olympia WA 98502
Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Lacey Club
1105 Tracey Lane SE
Lacey WA 98503
360.438.6811
Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Rochester Club in the Rochester Community Center
10140 Hwy. 12 SW
Rochester WA 98579
360.273.9397
Monday through Friday, 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
