TOLEDO, Ohio — Local kids are missing more than school this spring; they're also not able to go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo.
But the organization still reaching out kids all over the community.
It has to be tough, when three of your four facilities are inside Toledo Public Schools, which are closed during the pandemic. Their independent facility is also closed.
Despite the closures, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo are still finding ways to help kids through it.
The organization has teamed up with the United Way and their 211 program to continue to provide meals and snacks to the almost 80,000 kids they serve.
They've also had to change the way they provide the programming that makes a big difference in kids' lives.
The Boys & Girls Clubs have developed a virtual program platform, where they are creating free content every weekday at 3:00 p.m.
Kids can go on The Boys & Girls Clubs website or social media pages to check out their virtual club content.
They're using familiar faces: people that the kids already know, but just can't see them in person right now.
There are videos about education, fitness and fun.
And it's not only for members of the Boys & Girls Clubs; any kid in the community can log on and watch any of it for free
"They can see those face, they can see those familiar, friendly faces delivering short snippets of content each day. They do align with our core value areas like academic success, healthy lifestyles, good character, but we also infused fun in there, too. So there are jokes of the day, there are all sorts of fun activities," said Billy Mann, the Director of Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Mann says the Boys & Girls Clubs are still working on Barefoot at the Beach, their August fundraiser that brings in a quarter of a million dollars for their operating budget. The have a committee that is looking at a few scenarios for how to hold it safely.