Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama, Inc.

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Every day, thousands of kids leave school in South Alabama with no place to go, putting them at risk of being unsupervised, unguided and unsafe. As a leading advocate for youth, we are committed to ensuring that every child has access to a safe place after school and during the summer where they can build the knowledge, skills and behaviors to put them on the path to a great future.

Our Clubs provide safe havens for kids to grow and learn – offering daily interaction with caring adults and life-enhancing programs in character/leadership development, healthy lifestyles, education and career development, sports and fitness, and the arts. Young people are provided with an outcome-driven Club experience consisting of five key elements for positive youth development: a safe environment, fun, opportunities and expectations, recognition, and supportive relationships. Our structured youth development programs have had a significant impact on those factors which negatively impact youth, their families and our community by helping to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors for the young people served. By providing programs that focus on the three priority outcome of Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles, our Clubs have helped generations of young people achieve the great futures they deserve.

For over 64 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama, Inc. has served youth ages 6 to 18 who reside throughout Mobile County, Alabama. BGCSA is a chartered affiliate of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America which was chartered by Congress in 1906. Our organization is operated by a Board of Directors composed of twenty-eight local business, civic and community leaders, and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in the State of Alabama. Programs and services are led by qualified youth development professionals and volunteers. The Chief Financial Officer is a C.P.A. and an annual audit is performed by a qualified independent C.P.A. firm. BGCSA has administered federal, state, and local programming funds since its inception, including funding from the federal Office of Juvenile Programs, Community Development Block Grant funds, the Mobile Housing Board, the City of Mobile, Mobile County, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (TANF funds), and the State Department of Education, among others.

As Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama enters its 65th year of service to Mobile County's youth, we continue to grow and improve. Currently, we operate 12 year-round Club sites and three summer-only programs. In addition, we operate a 150-acre camp which provides summer activities for the youth we serve. In our 2020 annual report to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, registered membership totaled 2,149 youth. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama has continued to serve our community by transforming and transitioning our programming to meet the unique circumstances and consequences of the pandemic. Examples of this include:
1) The development of a daily “virtual Club,” Boys & Girls Clubs Live! which provides both educational and fun activities. Club staff are keeping in touch with each Club member who has been unable to return to their Club, via e-mail and phone calls, so that our kids will know that they are loved and cared for in these scary times.
2) Let’s Read, Mobile!, our daily, on-line program featuring guests reading their favorite children’s book, has enabled BGCSA to continue encouraging parents to read to their children, and furthering the goal of instilling a life-long love of reading in our children.
3) For teen Club members, there is a weekly on-line “Teen Talk” featuring guest speakers on topics of interest to teens, such as career readiness, preparing for college and healthy relationships. mPlease note that all of our virtual, on-line programs are accessible via social media platforms @bgcsouthal.org, not just to Club members but to all youth in our community.