Boys & Girls Clubs, Alabama Power Foundation aim to shape young lives in east Alabama in 2024

Inside a former gym in West Anniston, young lives are being changed.

On what used to be a basketball court inside an unassuming metal building, kids from all around Anniston gather daily after school for activities and learning provided by the Boys & Girls Clubs of East Central Alabama.

Today, though, is special – for multiple reasons.

All around the Charles A. Hamilton Teen Center, inside the former gym, volunteers sporting smiling faces scramble around the hardwood floor, setting up tables for the afternoon’s activity: a Christmas market where kids can pick out clothes, toys and other items to take home.

Also on this day, the clubs received a $25,000 grant from the Alabama Power Foundation. The grant will support the clubs’ Power Hour after-school program in the new year – allowing the organization to upgrade equipment, purchase supplies and cover transportation costs for youth coming in from surrounding areas.

In a corner of the room, clacking billiard balls can be heard over the conversations of the volunteers. At the pool table is a teenager; he grins from ear to ear when a volunteer approaches him to join the game.

Dana McFarland, a community relations specialist in Alabama Power’s Eastern Division, said the foundation grant will support the many activities and programs the clubs provide to youth from across the region, helping them grow, learn and thrive.

“Once they finish their homework and they’re ready to do just regular activities – you know, hands-on things, and everyday life skills – if they need help with anything, this grant will help them achieve that.”

Established in 1967, the Boys & Girls Clubs of East Central Alabama have been serving youth for over 50 years. The organization operates seven locations in Anniston, Jacksonville, Talladega, Lincoln and Roanoke, and serves approximately 400 children annually.

“It’s very important for us to have organizations like this,” McFarland said, noting that many of the kids come from single-parent families or households with limited resources. Club staff embrace and support the children in multiple ways, from helping them with schoolwork, to assisting them in developing life and social skills.

“It’s very important for us to have organizations such as this, to just let children know that we care …” McFarland said.

To learn more about the Alabama Power Foundation, visit powerofgood.com. For more information about Boys & Girls Clubs of East Central Alabama, click here.