The Club directors at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan treat members just like their own kids. They form close bonds and often mentor children from elementary school through their teens. As young adults, graduates often come back to say “thanks.”
Jackie Banks, Club director of the Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus/NFL-YET Boys & Girls Club, is like a surrogate mother to Club members. In addition to being the first director of the new Club, she was a former Club director at the Fauver-Martin Club in Highland Park. She’s got plenty of friends at both Clubs. Teens who remember her when they were younger eagerly greet her with hugs and cheers when she visits her former Club.
This year, she attended the NFL/YET Learn Across America trip to the Kennedy Space Center with two Club members: Aaliyah Hardy and Lauren Parks. They had a blast at the three-day trip. Highlights included meeting an astronaut, participating in a simulated launch, and experiencing the effects of zero gravity.
She keeps the kids at the Club in line by enforcing good behavior and encouraging them to complete their homework before they get involved in the Club’s many programs, including arts, sports, fitness, games and pool. Despite more than 150 visitors daily to the Club during the school year and double that in the summer, the environment is fun but not frantic – demonstrating the clout that Jackie holds with the kids.
