Reuniting with friends at the beginning of a new school year. Cooling off at the splash pad on a hot summer day. Being recognized as Club Member of the Month. Learning about science through a fun, messy experiment.

It’s the little things that mean the world to our community’s kids. This month, the Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County (BGCLPC) team is celebrating a successful 2023, while looking ahead to a new year filled with new opportunities.

BGCLPC is a nonprofit youth development organization offering free afterschool and summer programming for children in kindergarten through eighth grades. At the end of 2022, Club locations included Kingsford Heights Elementary School and Westville Elementary/Middle School, plus Pine Elementary School, Springfield Elementary School and the Charles R. Westcott Club in Michigan City.

In early 2023, BGCLPC expanded from 5 Clubs to 8 with the addition of new locations at Lincoln Elementary School, Brighton Street Green Space and the Kesling Intermediate Campus in La Porte. BGCLPC’s Phase 2 programming expansion is made possible thanks in part to support from the Health Foundation of La Porte.

BGCLPC’s dramatic growth in 2023 allowed the organization to provide free afterschool and summer programing to more than 760 Club members over the course of the year - a 94.6% increase from 2022. Other recent milestones included the reintroduction of regular family engagement events and the launch of a new science, technology, engineering and math curriculum entitled “Stepped-Up STEM” in partnership with the Howmet Aerospace Foundation.

“2023 was a truly memorable and impactful year for our organization,” says Michelle Shirk, BGCLPC Chief Executive Officer. “Thanks to our amazing Club members, team members, families and supporters, we are now halfway to our long-term goal of serving 1,500 La Porte County children annually. There is truly no place like the Boys & Girls Club, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings!”

BGCLPC’s corporate and foundation supporters for 2022/2023 include the following:

Great Futures Supporters:1st Source Bank, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, American General Corporation, American Licorice Company, Big Comedy La Porte, Boyd Gaming Corporation, CAPTRUST, CLH, CPAs & Consultants, Duneland Health Council, GAF Roofing, Health Foundation of La Porte, Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, John W. Anderson Foundation, Kiwanis Club of LaPorte, Morgan Family Foundation, Michigan City Community Enrichment Corporation, Neale Family Foundation, NIPSCO, Panda Cares, Planet Fitness, Reinhardt H. and Shirley R. Jahn Foundation, Sullair, The Leonard J. and Irene Brown Family Foundation, Unity Foundation of La Porte County

Unlimited Potential Supporters: American Legion Post 130, Applegate & Co., CPAs, Braje, Nelson and Janes, LLP, Brix Tasting Room , Centier Bank, Chicago South Shore & South Bend RR, Diamond Manufacturing Company Midwest, Diehl Consulting Group, Dunegrass Properties, Inc., E & L Paving and Construction, Inc., Edward Jones - David Pendergast, Edward Jones - Mandee Alevizos, General Insurance Services, Healthlinc, Horizon Bank, Leeds Public House, La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, Lonici Rental Group, Michigan City Exchange Club, Michigan City Kia / Michigan City Hyundai, Mikropor, Newby, Lewis, Kaminski & Jones, LLP, Purdue Northwest, Qubit Networks, Schepel Buick - GMC Truck, Inc., Tonn & Blank, Weichert Realtors Merrion Group, Woodruff & Sons, Inc.

Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County is a member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a nationwide affiliation of more than 5,000 autonomous Club organizations. For more information, please contact Michelle Shirk, Chief Executive Officer, at mshirk@bgclubmc.org.