TOLEDO, Ohio — The Boys and Girls Club of Toledo has been serving local youth for more than 130 years.
Tamyah Griffin, a senior at Waite High School, knows the benefits of the club very well.
"Everybody should have a chance to experience something like this," Griffin said.
Griffin has been coming to the club for the last five years, taking advantage of the mental health resources they offer because she knows how important that outlet can be.
Now, she's the 2024 Youth of the Year award winner. But that doesn't stop Griffin from losing her humility and purpose for being associated with the club.
"I don't like when people say I'm different or unique and special; I want there to be more people out there like me," said Griffin.
She's not the only one who sees worth in the club.
In fact, donors from across northwest Ohio do, too, giving more than $2 million for ongoing renovations to the first floor of the club on North Detroit Avenue.
Some of the renovations, which began in August of 2023, include brand-new restrooms and locker rooms, new hallway access points to the club's gymnasium and swimming pool, as well as a new fire alarm system and a redesigned entryway.
These changes are designed to make kids feel safer and more at home, something Griffin has felt for years.
"This club has helped me be more vocal, because before I was really shy and didn't speak up a lot and I was always scared to just get what I want, but when I came here they helped me realize that I need to speak up and be more assertive and advocate for myself," she said. "Without them, I don't think I'd be comfortable doing stuff like this."
These kinds of success stories remind the club's president and chief executive officer, Jim Ravas, of why the organization is so vital to the local community.
We're here to go into the community, to find those that need that extra hand, who need that extra lift-up," Ravas said. "That's what the Boys and Girls Clubs of Toledo and Boys and Girls Clubs of America are all about — helping these kids to be the best selves they could possibly be."
The club expects the renovations to be done around mid-June.
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