Boys and Girls Clubs of Pueblo County seeks $50,000‑a‑year city contract to fund 25 year‑round slots

Becky Medina, chief operating officer for Boys and Girls Clubs of Pueblo County, asked the Pueblo City Council Monday to approve a three‑year service agreement at $50,000 per year to sustain out‑of‑school programming at three sites: the Reguilera teen center at Central High School, the Eastside Clubhouse at Risley and the Sprague Clubhouse in public housing.

Medina said the contract would fund staffing and program supplies that support the 25 city‑funded year‑round slots (25 slots year round at the three sites). She told council the organization serves roughly 1,000 youth annually across its sites and committed to annual reporting on attendance, grade progression and youth‑safety indicators, including prevention programming, homework assistance and physical activity.

Multiple club members and former members spoke in support. Bernardo Stradiquiran told the council the club provided him a safe place, leadership opportunities and the first exposure to a college campus, and credited the organization with helping him become the first person in his family to earn college degrees: “I know without a doubt that the boys and girls club without the boys and girls club in my life, it could have I could have taken a different direction,” he said. Other youth emphasized STEM programming, mentoring and internship opportunities; Ivan Guerrero and Shay Ortman described homework help, STEM activities and staff support.

During questions, Councilor Martinez asked how the city funds would be used. Medina said the dollars primarily support portions of staff salaries tied to the 25 city‑funded slots and some program supplies. Martinez said he would put forward a $50,000 budget amendment for the 2026 budget that evening to fund the contract; city staff said that if council approves the amendment, staff will work with the club in December to finalize a 2026 contract.

Medina told council the club employs more than 75 people ("75 plus people") and reported a payroll of about $2,300,000, with $2,500,000 brought into Pueblo County this year from outside the county. She said the club’s programs logged nearly 40,000 hours of club‑led community service and leadership programs and cited outcome statistics the organization tracks.

The presentation concluded with council members expressing strong support; the budget amendment was announced as forthcoming, and a contract would follow only if the council approves the amendment during budget review.