JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After decades of serving fthe community, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida and Project SOS are combining their 75 years combined experience by merging into one organization with a capacity to serve youth through in-school life skills training and unique afterschool programs aimed at teens.
According to a news release announcing the merger, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida and Project SOS complement one another in mission and operations. The Bogs and Girls Club serves nearly 5,000 youth, and Project SOS serves over 10,000 youth annually through in-school programs. Project SOS is credited with helping reduce the teen birth rates by 64 percent, juvenile crime by 35 percent and drug and alcohol use by 28 percent, according to statistics from the Florida Departments of Health and Juvenile Justice.
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“Both organizations work to enhance lives to ensure a brighter future for youth in northeast Florida, and by merging, our community resources will be maximized and used more efficiently,” said Paul Martinez, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club. “Project SOS serves students during their school days and the Boys & Girls Clubs serves youth in the afterschool space, and through our collaboration, we will reach more students to make a greater impact.”
Martinez said that nearly one-third violent crimes committed by juvenile offenders occur during after-school hours.
“We are excited about this merger,” said Pam Mullarkey Robbins, founder and CEO of Project SOS. "We will continue to reaching youth through our proven programming in the schools and now we will be able to encourage teens to continue their lessons by participating in after school programs offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida and to positively impact nearly 15,000 teens a year. This is a win-win for everyone involved."