Present and future on display during celebration at Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell 

By Aaron Curtis

LOWELL — For the previous 15 years, this 5,500-square-foot blocked-off section of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell held what Executive Director Joe Hungler described as an empty “rusted out pool.” On Thursday, that formerly decayed old space was once again accessible and alive.

Hundreds of community members, local leaders, and Club members, alumni and volunteers, gathered in the newly renovated space — now known as the Community Center and Café — to see what the present looks like and what the future holds for the club during the Believe & Become Grand Opening Celebration.

“Believe & Become” is the name of the $23 million campaign launched to support the ongoing renovation and expansion of the club’s roughly 50-year-old building located on Middlesex Street.

During Thursday’s event, Deputy Executive Director JuanCarlos Rivera told attendees the Community Center and Café will offer a space to serve 500 young people a meal each day through a state-of-the-art kitchen. The space will provide room for various events, like Thanksgiving celebrations, quinceañeras, music concerts, dance parties, and meetings.

A video showing elated club members seeing the space for the first time was shown to attendees.

“It was a pretty awesome day,” Hungler said. “Because this is what you do it for, right? All the volunteers who helped with this, all the donors, all the staff have worked long days to make all this happen. You do this so the kids and teens have this space that’s worthy of them, and this space truly is.”

Hungler pointed out the creation of the Community Center and Café is just the beginning.

Planned improvements include upgrades to bathrooms, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, and safety systems, as well as an expansion to the front of the building and its west wing, which will be home to the club’s future Teen Center.

An official groundbreaking was held on Thursday for the Teen Center, which will have its own entrance, offering a space just for teens.

Renderings of the building’s planned facelift made available during Thursday’s event displayed the modern design crafted by architect Patrick Tighe, who is also a club alum. Hungler said Tighe donated his time to create the design.

The goal is to have the project completed by the end of 2024.

The expansion will allow the club to serve up to 600 youth per day, which is double the number of kids currently served. With the planned expansion, the number of full-time and part-time staff will also double.

Mark Gilchrist, Believe & Become campaign co-chairman, said since the building opened 50 years ago, there were some modifications and incremental changes to the structure, but the planned renovation is the first time there has been “a profound reimagining of the space.”

Gilchrist added that the club has experienced unprecedented growth over the last decade. And for those who are involved in the club, the thought is, “The more the merrier.”

“At no time have the board members or the trustees looked at each other and said we’re helping enough,” Gilchrist said. “There’s still more kids that we can get in and make a difference with, and that’s been the driver behind this: Being able to provide more services for kids.”

The plans are welcome news to club members, including Hadassa Pelissier, who turned 14 on Friday. She has been a member of the club since the summer of 2021.

While discussing what the Boys & Girls Club means to her, Pelissier used the word “opportunity” several times. She is in a variety of clubs and classes that involve dance, music, and digital design. Pelissier figures she spends more time here than at her own home.

“I feel like it’s really amazing seeing the impact it’s made on the youth and teens,” Pelissier said about the renovations, adding that club members helped raise money for the project. “We’re now getting access to new things and new rooms. Everything is changing and all that money is being put toward making the club a better place for everyone.”

Many local leaders who have helped with the club’s campaign were on hand for Thursday’s celebration, including U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, state Sen. Ed Kennedy, and state reps. Vanna Howard and Rady Mom — a proud former club kid, councilor and volunteer.

Also present were City Manager Tom Golden, as well as Mayor Sokhary Chau, and the Lowell City Council, who announced a $1 million donation to the campaign from the city. The donation was made possible in part by Trahan, who helped deliver funding to the city through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Members of the Lowell Police Department, including Superintendent Greg Hudon, and the city’s previous top cop Kelly Richardson, also attended Thursday’s grand opening.

Attendees heard a speech delivered by club alum Sophie Pegba, who was born in Paris, with family origins in Cameroon. Pegba said the club played a significant role in her life, starting at the age of 7. She described it as a second home, with the staff and management serving as parents, and other club members serving as siblings.

Pegba is currently a student at Merrimack College, in North Andover, with plans to pursue a career in human resources.

“For those who don’t come to the club every day, see that I’m one example of a young member whose experience at the club influenced how I think, and live,” Pegba said. “Now imagine the amount of kids who were club members, and the ones who are now too living their journey.”

According to Gilchrist, the Boys & Girls Club leads to higher graduation rates, less risky behavior among youth, lower teen birth rates, as well as children who grow up to become productive members of the community.

John Carson, Believe & Become campaign co-chairman, said among the main goals of the club is to end generational poverty.

“It gives kids a future,” Carson said about the club. “It helps them get through high school and then gives them some direction when they leave high schoool. It could be a trade school, it could be a job, it could be college, it could be the military.

“Seeing kids have opportunities, it’s both important for the families, as well as the community,” he added.

Hungler noted approximately $12 million has been raised for the Believe & Become campaign. Hundreds of people have donated, including five donors who gifted $1 million. Hungler stressed, however, that any amount helps.

“We are hoping the rest of the community can come together and help us get the whole project over the finish line,” Hungler said.