How a nearly $600K donation is making a difference at this Columbus Boys & Girls Club
Perhaps nobody has more reasons to appreciate the Boys & Girls Club branch in south Columbus more than Lynette Poindexter.
All seven of the mother’s children, ages 10-24, are or were club members.
Referring to the donors who paid for the branch’s $750,000 renovation, Poindexter told the Ledger-Enquirer, “It’s the best thing they could have done.”
The club provides her children constructive activities with responsible supervision at a safe place, where the respect she teaches at home is reinforced, Poindexter said.
“They make sure their homework gets done,” she said. “… Me being a single parent can only do so much. But here, you have everybody else help raise them, be a positive influence on them, give them time out when they get in trouble.”
Poindexter sees the renovation as more evidence of the thoughtful care the club gives children.
“They put money into it,” she said. “They cater to the kids. … There’s something here for everybody.”
Woodruff family’s connection
The south Columbus branch’s official name is the J. Barnett Woodruff Boys & Girls Club, honoring the man who helped establish the branch and served on the club’s national board. He and his father, Jim, donated Woodruff family land in the 1950s for the site of the branch.
Seven decades later, one of Barnett’s grandsons, Chris Woodruff, teared up as he toured the branch with the L-E to see the renovation funded mostly by the J.W. & Ethel I. Woodruff Foundation, named after his great-grandparents.
“The first thing that came to mind was how proud I am of our foundation for making the right decision,” said Woodruff, president of The Cotton Companies, a real estate development and investment firm in Columbus. “… Secondly, it was a flood of emotion because I thought of my grandfather and visiting the club with him and being here for the dedication of his name and wondering what he would think, seeing this incredible transformation from what was a good club to now an unbelievably appointed club.”
Woodruff added with a laugh, “I think he would smile — and that wasn’t always the case.”
The foundation funded $595,000 of the $750,000 project, said Rodney Close, president and CEO at the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley.
“Without the foundation’s support, none of this would’ve been possible,” Close said. “We’re extremely thankful for the family’s continued support.”
Woodruff praised the leadership Close and his staff provide the organization, which serves approximately 2,000 club members at five locations, including 225 at the Woodruff branch.
“My expectation is that this club will become an inspiration for other individuals in the community to want to invest in the Boys & Girls Clubs,” he said. “… Regardless of race, creed, color or wealth, we want every child to experience love, proper programming and safety in a place where they feel welcomed. And that happens at the Boys & Girls Clubs.”
What the club means to members
The club has been a source of guidance, shelter and safe haven for years, its former members say.
Firefighter and advanced EMT Courtney Brown, a Carver High School graduate, started going to the club when he was 5. It helped him learn about health, fitness and interpersonal communication, he said, as well as an understanding and appreciation for the world beyond Columbus through field trips.
“I credit the Boys & Girls Club with me being the man who I am today,” he said.
And just ask Spencer High School graduates Heather and Virginia Jones, two of Poindexter’s children.
“It shaped who I came to be,” said Heather, who works at the Family Dollar on Fort Benning Road.
“This place was like a second home to me,” said Virginia, who works at HoneyBaked Ham.
Heather attended the club from age 12-18. She liked playing pool, carpet ball and video games, as well as hanging out with her friends.
“My siblings weren’t here with me yet, so it was nice to kind of get away from them and finally get my own little space with people my own age,” she said.
Virginia attended the club from kindergarten until 12th grade. Her favorite activities were kickball, football, pool, carpet ball, softball, field trips and art. When the the internet connection didn’t work at home at home, she especially appreciated the club’s Wi-Fi. As a teen, she helped the staff mentor the younger children.
“It was just like one big happy family here,” she said.
How the renovation improved the facility
The branch includes rooms for technology, art and literacy. The renovation of the 25,000-square-foot facility comprised:
- Replacing the windows, flooring, carpeting and lights.
- Repainting the exterior and program areas in the building.
- Installing a new intercom, new doors and a new gym floor with new wall padding.
- Overhauling the restrooms.
- Upgrading the Wi-Fi, plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems.
- Redoing the landscaping and signage.
Beyond the renovation, Heather said, the club’s members and staff make it a positive place.
“The people here are very caring,” she said.
The fee for a child to attend for the school year is $50 for ages 5-12. The summer program fee is $200 for members and $250 for nonmembers. Teens can attend anytime for free. Call 706-596-9330 to register.
“No amount of money I pay can do what they do for my kids,” Poindexter said. “Every penny is worth it.”
