ANDERSON — Wilson Boys & Girls Club is asking the community to help it “Be Great.”

As school gets under way and the club introduces new programs to its students, the staff will kick off its “Be Great Week of Celebration” to give Anderson residents a chance to help the club raise funds.

“It will give the Anderson community the opportunity to help us to do some of the great things we’ve done in the area of academics, sports, music, drama and physical health,” club Director Rodney Nichols said.

A large part of the Boys & Girls Club mission is to tutor and mentor children. During its summer camp this year, the club engaged children in academic endeavors, and so far this fall, tutoring programs have exceeded the number of students the club started out with last year.

“It’s already proving to have a very positive impact on the youth,” Nichols said. “They’re coming in excited about education and learning and taking advantage of that tutoring/mentoring program.”

Big premieres

New in October will be a dance program, featuring a variety of modern, praise and folk dancing. For other types of musicians, the club will offer the second year of its Music Makers program, with piano, guitar and drum lessons.

For those thinking of college, technical programming can help students get used to software they will use in higher education. A credit recovery program allows them to take high school courses that correspond to college courses, Nichols said.

New programs called Smart Girls and Passport to Manhood will teach students how to grow up to be responsible adults.

The club offers a program for adults called Family Plus, which provides workshops on communication, problem solving and relationships for parents and grandparents.

The club averages 75-80 students each day during the school year, and can help upward of 125 people per day, counting adults. The most popular programs have been the tutoring/mentoring program, career preparation and children’s field trips, Nichols said.

The club also hosts Sowers of Seeds, a new resident in the building, which offers counseling services to parents. The organization moved into the building on Sept. 1.

Little Blessings Daycare also has dedicated space within the club, starting last year and growing to 45-50 students.

Necessities of service

The club can’t keep up its programs without help from donors. With recent boiler problems and high heating costs, the club is behind in its winter utility bills, a problem Nichols hopes ths week’s events will fix.