Boys and Girls Club working to restore heating

AKWESASNE TERRITORY—The Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club experienced a furnace outage earlier this week that resulted in a reduction in services.  “First and foremost, the safety and comfort of the club members is what’s most important to us,” said Director Myra LaFrance.  “We’re lucky to have two furnaces, so the second floor of the building is still warm and usable.”

The furnace that heats the downstairs is in the process of being repaired and the replacement parts are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, February 3rd.  “By the time the parts arrive and the furnace is repaired, we were told that the target date to be back in full operation is Monday, February 9th,” said Brandon David, Unit Director.

Meanwhile, the second floor of the club is still in use and the facility will continue to operate as a drop-off and pick-up point, so parents can still pick up students after school.  “We have school buses arriving and dropping of Club members from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM, but it’s important for parents to pick up their children as soon as possible after they’ve been dropped off,” noted April Lauzon, Assistant Executive Director.  “Our upstairs capacity is limited and we need to cycle the kids through the facility as quickly as possible in order to be able to serve the largest number of club members.”

“We know that this is inconvenient for both parents and kids and we’ll be happy to be back in full operation,” said LaFrance.  “We are glad to have the cooperation and support of parents and families who rely on the Boys and Girls Club for after-school services.  They are the ones who are the most helpful in overcoming this challenge.  We want to make sure that our lines of communication are open, so if parents have any questions, please call us at 358-9911.  Club staff is available to assist families with any concerns they may have.”

The Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club has been operating since 2001 and serves around 100 kids a day, ages six through 21.  The club provides GED and hot meal programs, sponsors a homework club, tutoring, oversees sports and recreation activities, a computer lab, health and life skills in addition to art and cultural activities. 

JOM Tutoring will still be offered at the Boys and Girls Club, Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 PM.  The Homework Club with Joey Phillips will also still operate Monday through Thursday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.  GED classes will continue on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.  All these activities are located on the second floor of the building.