Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pa. expands to Aliquippa

Pittsburghers have long had their exposure to the Boys and Girls Club, as there are standalone locations in Shadyside, Carnegie and Lawrenceville, among others. BGCWPA also operates teen centers in Downtown Pittsburgh and McKeesport, and has locations within schools such as Sto-Rox Upper Elementary. It even has an affiliate in Somerset County.

Recognized nationally for providing life-changing programming for children, Boys and Girls Clubs of America has been a valued community resource for more than 100 years.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS QUARTERBACK RUSSELL WILSON AND HIS WIFE, R&B SINGER CIARA, JOINED KIDS AT THE SHADYSIDE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB LOCATION, DEC. 10, 2024. (PHOTO COURTESY/STEELERS)

Former Boys and Girls Clubs participant and Aliquippa native, Dr. Melvin Steals Sr., told the Courier he worked for more than two decades to get a Boys and Girls Clubs affiliate in Aliquippa. The former Aliquippa English teacher for 21 years and Aliquippa middle school principal, Dr. Steals recalled the impact the club had on his life.

DR. MELVIN STEALS SR., STANDING.

“Young people today don’t have the opportunities we had, as the highly effective villages, like the ones in which I grew up, no longer exist,” Dr. Steals told the Courier. Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania has programs and life-changing impacts through proven practices that they’ve perfected upon the lives of the youth who frequently pass through the doors of their sites. They can get our kids moving in the right direction.”

Dr. Steals also told the Courier about his college classmate from decades ago, Charlie Grantham, who later became the first Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the NBA Players Association and is currently the Director of the Center for Sport Management at Seton Hall University. Grantham told Dr. Steals how his involvement in the Boys and Girls Clubs affiliate in Bethlehem, Pa., at age 9 changed the course of his life.

THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD TAYLOR ENJOYS BEING PART OF THE ALIQUIPPA CLUBHOUSE.

Virginia “Ginny” Householder, director of the Aliquippa Clubhouse, told the Courier that BGCWPA “is a vital resource to participants, and helps working parents with after-school childcare.” Householder said the club is open weekdays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., and bus transportation is provided for students to get to and from the clubhouse.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania’s reputation is so cherished, that Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, R&B singer Ciara, opened their “Why Not You” center at the Shadyside standalone clubhouse on Brownell Street. More than 100 kids were there for the ribbon-cutting, greeting and interacting with Wilson and Ciara, Dec. 10, 2024.

“Ciara and I are blessed to give back to the community and make a positive impact in the lives of young people,” Wilson said in a statement provided to media outlets. “Opening our first ‘Why Not You Center’ in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Pennsylvania is a significant step toward creating lasting change.”

Back in Aliquippa, trained instructors utilize a strict routine to achieve club goals. Students must complete homework, then can participate in additional activities, which include conducting science projects, learning about technology, the arts and educational-based enrichment. Great emphasis is placed on academic success, career- and life-readiness, character and leadership development, and healthy lifestyles.

“We like to do something we call ‘positive action’ with our kids,” Householder told the Courier. “Our Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is where the healthy lifestyle coach (Sadie Tucker) goes into seventh- and ninth-grade rooms once a week and they go over things like goal-setting, self-esteem, and topics that are important to the kids. We bring this to our after-school program by addressing a question of the day just to get them thinking. This helps with their emotions. I think it’s healthy to have and maintain those conversations with the kids and we typically have great participation from them.”

Hot meals and snacks are served daily, which Householder said helps both students and their families.

Currently, 14 students are enrolled in the Aliquippa Clubhouse—four seventh-graders, and the others are in elementary school. While there is a cost for a student to be enrolled, none of the students’ parents are coming out of pocket thanks to the federally-funded Child Care Works (CCW) program.

“All the children that are coming to this particular program at the Aliquippa School District are eligible for either CCW or the scholarship program,” Householder said.

Householder also said there are plans to accept more students in the coming weeks and months. Space inside the clubhouse, located inside the Aliquippa Jr./Sr. High School, can accommodate 24 students.

“We have already noticed positive changes with the students, as they build a rapport with school and program employees, and their overall trust with the program has grown,” shared Householder. “Some kids come to the door and tell us they want to sign up since their peers are talking about the program, which is positive. Students also gain familiarity with the middle and high school campus.”

During a Courier visit to the Aliquippa Clubhouse on Feb. 7, Taylor, 13, a seventh-grader, was playing a word search game on the big screen as she awaited more of her clubhouse peers to appear. Taylor told the Courier that she enjoys sitting at the table with the other students, communicating about how each person’s school day fared.

Assistant Director of the Aliquippa Clubhouse, Victoria Lachoo, was busy bringing in boxes of pizza for the kids during the Courier visit. She said she’s noticed the kids learning “how to handle their conflicts” and “how to be able to address their feelings,” while Tucker told the Courier she’s noticed the quieter kids have “just completely come out of their shell, which has been a blessing for me to see.”

(Editor’s note: Rob Taylor Jr. contributed to this story.)