Boys and Girls Clubs of Appalachia leaders expect new facility will ready for the Fall

HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - In July 2021, we told you about an expansion of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Appalachia.

After some delay, club leaders said construction equipment is in place and an opening date in the Fall is in sigh.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Appalachia CEO, Kateena Haynes, said she waited for the news about a new facility for more than one decade until the call came.

”I was working from home that day and they called and they were jumping up and down and just there was so much excitement,” she said.

Plans and expectations for the project were continually changing since 2007.

”Everything is coming along slower than we wanted, but it’s all coming along better than we ever anticipated,” Haynes said.

Final plans show a multi-use facility in Harlan.

”The gym is going to be a game-changer for us because we’re going to have program facilities,” Haynes said. “We’re going to be able to double the number of kids that we serve.”

The new space will allow for expansion of the popular nutrition program.

”We not only feed kids here at the club we also feed kids throughout the community,” Haynes explained. “And we do this with one stove, air fryers, a microwave and we makes things work and that’s what we’ve done for a long time.”

In the Fall, the organization will have a full commercial kitchen and a real cafeteria to replace the makeshift one in the existing buildings art room.

”And the kids will all be able to sit down together as one big family and it’s going to be great,” said Haynes.

There are currently three Boys and Girls Club facilities serving about 2,500 kids a variety of after school programs.

Haynes hopes to expand the program across Eastern Kentucky.

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