Our Impact
Years
Nearly 20 years of service to the communityLives Changed
BGC Lynchburg has been able to assist numerous kids and families throughout the yearsSnacks Served
Club members have full stomachs and happy hearts at BGC Lynchburg.Volunteers
Over 500 volunteers have helped to make a lasting impact on the future of BGC club members.
Our History
Like many success stories, ours started with a group of people with a dream. On November 25, 2002, a group of community members gathered at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church to put heads together and discuss the idea of opening a Boys & Girls Club in the Lynchburg area and the steps that would be necessary to do so. With the passion and endless efforts of community members, by August 12th, 2003, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg was incorporated!
The next step was vital; finding the perfect location. The Club needed to be housed where it could make the most impact in the community and enable us to service the most young people in need that we possibly could. Mr. Louis Robinson, our founder, took an interest in the Craddock-Terry building on the corner of 12th and Madison Streets. This location, in the heart of downtown Lynchburg, had been vacant for quite some time and was perfect for the new club. Mr. Holcomb Hughes approached the owner of the building, T.D. Thornton of Progress Printing. Mr. Thornton and his family were excited about our vision and we had a new home.
After, the board was notified and began to raise funds for renovations. Next, we found our Executive Director. Mark Sheehan, an esteemed 30-year veteran of the Boys & Girls Club was hired all the way from Syracuse, NY to run our new club. By December 9th, 2005 the doors to The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg had opened with 27 members, three staff, and a number of dedicated volunteers.
On October 22, 2013, a second clubhouse opened located in DeWitt Cottage on the Campus of HumanKind (formerly Presbyterian Homes & Family Services and the Family Alliance. With our DeWitt Clubhouse, we were ABLE TO SERVE 140 youth each and every day. This Club moved to Jefferson Park in 2016 to expand capacity INCREASING OUR REACH TO 160 YOUTH A DAY.
As of 2019, with the Madison Street Renovations completed, we were able to bring all Club Members home to one central location. Jefferson Park Club Members & Madison St. Club Members are now all housed happily at the Madison St. Unit.
It is amazing to look at the story of what such a small group of people can accomplish with dedication and a dream. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of the people that made and continue to make this possible. What we bring to Lynchburg is truly saving lives.
