Boys and Girls Club marks 10 years, reports rising membership and improved outcomes

Damon Ooch, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of West Chester and Liberty Township, presented a 10-year update to the West Chester Township Board of Trustees on Oct. 28, outlining membership growth and education and well-being outcomes for club participants.

"In the last 10 years, we've served a little over 5,000 youth and families," Ooch said, and noted a three-year trend showing registered membership increasing by about 275% and daily attendance up roughly 140%. He said the club has emphasized early literacy and academic recovery; weekly failing grades among junior high members have dropped nearly 24% and high school failing grades nearly 14% over the past three years.

Ooch cited a 2024 social return-on-investment study by the Ohio Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs and Ohio University’s Voynovich School, saying, "For every dollar invested in clubs in the state of Ohio, the lifetime benefit was over $35." He told trustees that nearly 90% of teen members reported a sense of belonging at the club and that 79% of parents or caregivers said they would not have been able to keep their jobs without the club’s services.

The presentation stressed the club’s work across four priority outcomes — academic recovery and success, youth health and well-being, character and leadership, and life and workforce readiness — and described workforce Wednesdays, VR programming and other initiatives to broaden career exposure for members.

Ooch thanked the trustees for their support as the club marks its 10th anniversary and presented each trustee with a commemorative item.

The presentation was informational; trustees offered congratulations but did not take formal action related to funding during the meeting.