A Grace College professor, who chairs the board of directors of the Baker Youth Club in Warsaw, Ind., was interviewed about the organization recently on the news site, Input Fort Wayne. A portion of the story, featuring Dr. Rachael Hoffert, appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
This innovative youth club in Winona Lake has been serving the community for nearly 100 years
Rachael Hoffert, Ph.D.
For 94 years, the Baker Youth Club (BYC) has been a pillar in the Winona Lake Community of Warsaw.
It started as the Baker’s Boys Club, founded by New York banker Bramwell Baker, who challenged the city of Warsaw to match his donation of $1,000.
The club was originally intended to provide a fun place for boys to hang out, read comic books, shoot pool, and play checkers.
Over the years, it has not only sustained those activities, but also evolved into a modern youth club that cultivates education, health, and social skills for boys and girls alike, serving families both before and after school with meals and programming—all for less than $100 a year per child. This low price is accomplished with the help of donations and grants.
Rachael Hoffert, Ph.D., a professor at Grace College’s School of Education, is going into her fifth year as the BYC Board President and Program Director, working with Director Tracy Furnivall.
“In 94 years, we’ve survived the Great Depression, the wars, the stock market crash in 2008, and we’re still here providing a program that helps close to 300 kids a day,” Furnivall says. “It speaks volumes about the great and giving community we live in.”
Click here to read the complete article.
