Family Relies On Boys & Girls Club For Balance
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The Hanford children are proud Boys & Girls Club members.
"I like how after school we have all these activities, sports, and it keeps us busy throughout the year instead of just going home and watching TV," said Jalia, the oldest Hanford siblings.
Jalia is particularly proud to play sports at the club, she says that it helps keep her weight in check.
"I was 180 when I was 11. After I played sports, I lost some weight," the 15-year-old told CBS4.
She also relies on the club for help with her homework. She's applying for the Youth of the Year Award, and hopes to earn some scholarship money so she can go to college.
"They always encourage me to do my best. They always help, and they teach me right from wrong because sometimes I can choose the wrong decision," Jalia said.
Jherica is 13 years old and is learning to a leader in Torch Club, which is a service organization for younger teens at the Boys & Girls Club.
"I used to be so immature before Torch Club. But once I got in there and started doing more activities and started running some of the fundraisers we had, I got a lot more mature and things started making more sense," Jherica told CBS4.
"I notice that she's very open. Jalia helps her, her older sister, but she's really come out," the children's mother, Joyce, says of Jherica.
Joyce has seen a big difference in all of her children since going to the Boys & Girls Club. As a single mother, she relies on the club to be a safe place where her kids can continue to grow.
"I see the joy on their faces when they're here," said explained.
Christmas is a joy for the children too, but a stretch for the family budget.
"The financial aspect of Christmas has been very detrimental to me, personally," Joyce said.
"A lot of times, we don't have the most money in the world, and there's four kids in the house, so I think it helps a lot when they give us gifts," Jalia says of the gift that each of the children will get from the Boys & Girls Club.
The gift these children get from the Boys & Girls Club is another reason they think of this as a second home.
"The make me feel so at home. They're like another family to me. I always have the most fund when I'm here. I love everyone here," Jherica added.
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Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.
