On June 23, community leaders, Club staff, and advocates gathered at the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club in Arcadia for a special evening focused on investing in local youth and protecting critical club funding.
This event marked the kickoff of the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Club Membership Matching Challenge, an opportunity to sustain and strengthen programs and services for the young people in DeSoto County. Thanks to three leaders, every dollar will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000 annually through 2030, generating up to $1 million in support for local youth over the next five years.
In addition to celebrating this exciting initiative, the evening highlighted the importance of continued investment in 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding. These federal dollars play a critical role in supporting after-school and summer programming, providing local youth with academic support, enrichment opportunities, mentoring, and a safe place to learn and grow. Proposed reductions to this funding threaten essential services that many families in DeSoto County rely on every day.
Please take less than 60 seconds to contact Congress and express your support by completing this Action Alert.
Double Your Impact
As the Club looks toward the future, the message from the evening was clear: investing in young people today creates stronger communities tomorrow. Through the Membership Matching Challenge and continued advocacy for youth funding, the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club remains committed to providing every young person with the support, resources, and opportunities they need to build Great Futures.
Hear From the Voices Behind the Mission
My name is Sofia Gilot, and I am the proud Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club Director.
My history with this organization goes back quite a way. Long before I worked here, I was a Club member at the Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club in North Port. At the Club, I participated in programs and opportunities that shaped who I am today. The Club helped me understand my values and showed me that I could actually make a difference in my community. And eventually, that realization is what brought me back here. Not just to work at a Club, but to give kids what the Club gave me.
Today, I’m incredibly proud to introduce a whole new generation of youth to those same opportunities here in Arcadia. Arcadia’s youth aren’t just coming here so they have somewhere safe to go. They are coming because their full potential is within reach when they walk through those doors. Every day. They have access to nutritious meals, academic support from a certified teacher, and caring adults who know them by name. They unlock their strengths and begin to see themselves as the leaders they are through mentorship and award-winning programs. They work with our Social Worker to overcome life’s challenges, build resilience, or even just to have someone to talk to. The Club is a place of growth and development; a community hub and trusted resource for families.
For teens, the opportunities expand even further. They are participating in our programs focused on leadership development, college and career planning, and workforce development. They're learning how to build a resume, explore different career paths, and imagine futures that may not have felt possible before. One of the most important things we see is confidence building over time. I think about the Club members who come in unsure of themselves, and a few months later, they’re leading projects, speaking up in groups, and trying activities they once avoided.
We launched the Great Futures Academy, which is a slate of academic success programs designed for members, ages 6-12, to earn grade-level benchmarks in the key subjects of Reading, Math, and Science. Our Club members here are performing 20% better than the district averages. And while summer is often when students lose their academic ground, that’s not what happens at the Club. Over the past six years, I’m proud to report that 100% of our members in Arcadia have either improved or kept their academic level. That means not a single child fell behind while they’re with us.
It is impact like this that show why we’re invested in the youth here. And they know we are here for them. They know because of the unwavering support of our donors, grantors, and community partners who have invested in their futures. Our staff are mentors, advocates, and consistent adults in the lives of young people who need that stability. I see every day how much that matters. Our mission is changing lives. And to that, we’re just getting started. Now, the best way to show that impact is through the voices of the families we serve.
My name is Celina, and I’m 11 years old.
I’ve been coming to the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club for three years, and it has become a place where I can learn, have fun, and spend time with my friends. One of the coolest opportunities I’ve had through the Club was participating in VIRTEX. It’s a program that connects middle schoolers like me to real NASA scientists and researchers who study extreme environments. My teammates and I learned all about STEM, and even won a competition to travel to Houston, Texas, two weeks ago to present our project at the national VIRTEX event.
It was my first time traveling outside of Florida and my first time flying on an airplane. That was really cool. I remember just looking out the window thinking, “I can’t believe this is happening!” At first, I was nervous to speak in front of a big audience, but Ms. Sofia was there to encourage me, and that helped me feel brave enough to do it. In Houston, I got to visit NASA, talk with scientists, and learn how astronauts train underwater before going to space. It was an experience I will never forget. The Club has shown me that I can try new things, be brave, and dream great things. I’m so excited to see what my next adventure will be.
Thank you to all the friends here today who support the Boys & Girls Club. Because of you, kids like me get to have incredible opportunities and discover things we never thought were possible!
My name is Laquandra, and I am Celina’s mom.
Listening to Celina share her VIRTEX experience and hearing about all that she was able to accomplish makes me incredibly proud. Seeing her travel to Houston, meet scientists, visit NASA, and present her project is something I never could have imagined her doing just a few years ago. All of this has been because of the Club. For the past three years, the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club has been a part of our family’s journey. Before enrolling my children, I would hear about how great the Club was and how helpful it is to so many families. The Arcadia community spoke highly about the staff, the programs, and the positive impact it had on their children's lives. Hearing those stories made me want to get my own children involved, and every day I am glad I made that decision.
Today, three of my children attend the Club. As a single mother of four, having a place where I know my children are safe, cared for, and surrounded by adults who truly believe in them means more than I can express. The Club gives me peace of mind every single day. Every day at pickup, I see smiles and hear stories about what they did at the Club. That’s how I know this is more than after-school and summer care. It’s a place where they belong. The Club has helped my children grow into themselves in ways I can see and feel at home. Celina’s experience is just one example of the Club opening doors for my children, expanding their horizons, and showing them that they are capable of great things. The staff at the Club has become like a second family to us. Ms. Sofia is the heart behind so much of what makes this Club such a positive and impactful place. She is a mentor, a role model, and someone who truly believes in all of the children here and their potential. She doesn’t just work here. She shows up for them. As a parent, there is no greater gift than knowing your children have people in their lives who care about them and not only want to see them succeed but are actively helping them do so. Because it takes more than programs to raise confident kids. It takes people who truly care about them.
To everyone who supports this Club, thank you. Your generosity is the reason children like mine can have the opportunities, spaces, and people that empower them. The Club has changed our family’s lives. It has given my children a place to grow, a place to belong, and a place where they are reminded every day that they are working towards a bright future.
