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Local organizers seek volunteers and partners to launch Boys & Girls Club unit in Natchez
Summary
An adviser for the Central Mississippi Boys & Girls Club urged Adams County supervisors to support establishing a Natchez unit, with initial plans for Morgantown Elementary and a stakeholder meeting set for Nov. 17; organizers are recruiting volunteers, school and business partners and local funding.
Rhonda James Page, who identified herself as adviser and facilitator for the Boys & Girls Club unit in Natchez, told the Adams County Board of Supervisors that Central Mississippi has decided to partner with the Natchez Adams School District to open a local unit.
"I am Rhonda James Page, and I act as the adviser and facilitator for the Boys and Girls Club unit in Natchez," Page said, describing the program as “evidence‑based, structured” and aiming to complement schools with leadership, youth development, and arts and enrichment programs. She said organizers hope to launch initially at Morgantown Elementary and expand to multiple county sites.
Page asked supervisors to help recruit volunteers from schools, churches and businesses and invited them and other stakeholders to a Nov. 17 stakeholder meeting; she said the date or site may change because the county has jury duty that day. She provided a contact number for volunteers and supporters.
Supervisors and attendees asked about volunteer capacity and how the club would coordinate with existing school services. Page said the chapter has some volunteers but needs many more and plans to engage retired teachers, workforce development programs and local coding/robotics programs.
The proposal also highlighted outcomes the national Boys & Girls Club cites — reduced truancy and delinquency — and Page cited county youth‑violence statistics as a reason to expand after‑school options. The board did not take a formal vote on funding at the meeting; Page encouraged county staff and supervisors to share information about volunteers and budget resources ahead of the stakeholder meeting.
The next procedural step, as stated in the meeting, is the stakeholder meeting and further coordination with the school district; supervisors did not commit county funds during the floor presentation.
