By The TimesLedger
Hey, we needed this.
While most nonprofit organizations are bracing for hard times, the director of the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria is talking about expansion. He hopes that the club, which currently services about 1,000 children, will triple its membership.
Mel Campos arrived at the Boys and Girls Club one month ago and hit the ground running. Financial crisis be damned, Campos is not about to tread water. He knows what a club like this can do for kids because he knows what a Boys Club did for him in the Bronx.
For $12 a year, the children can take part in programs at Variety that range from dance, drama and martial arts to tutoring, computers and basketball. And for $15 a week, children can attend summer camp at the club.
Campos is convinced that there are sponsors in the city who will see the value of the programs he offers and so far he has not bee disappointed. At a time when it seems like the entire city is entrenching, Campos and his outstanding club are a breath of fresh air.
