A major supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs

U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn has a place in his heart for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Trident Area.

In the 1970s, he served as chairman of the board of Charleston's one site for what was then known simply as the Boys Club. The club was based in the historic Robert Gould Shaw Unit on Mary Street on the East Side. Today, the Shaw Unit houses one of the clubs' six sites in the tri-county area.

Clyburn, D-S.C., spoke to a group of the clubs' supporters at a special luncheon Monday, illuminating the value of such programs. Working in the tough, low-income neighborhood was difficult then, as it is now, he said. But children are a worthwhile investment. Many of them could eventually become leaders in different fields.

It's essential that groups such as the Boys & Girls Clubs help them get beyond the challenges they face in their homes and neighborhoods, Clyburn said. "Think about what meeting these challenges could mean for tomorrow," he said.

Clyburn also pledged federal support, through earmarks, whenever possible.

Before the luncheon, the congressman also read a story and talked to a group of children who attend the club's site at Fraser Elementary School. The students wanted to know how often he talked to President Barack Obama and whether his job is hard. They also asked if he plans to run for president someday. He doesn't.

Robert Brunson, board chairman of the area's Boys and Girls Clubs, said the group lost about $100,000 in state money this fiscal year, which runs through the end of June.

The club has four school-based sites. Those sites aren't suffering dramatically in the current budget crunch because they are largely supported by the United Way. But the clubs' two community sites, one in Mount Pleasant and the other the Shaw Unit, rely on government and community support.

When the financial crisis hit late last year, Brunson said, churches and other groups in Mount Pleasant stepped up and contributed enough to keep that site open.

But on Charleston's East Side, where the need is greatest, potential donors simply have less to give.

The Shaw Unit, in a building which opened in 1865 as a school for freed slaves, is in danger of closing in September, Brunson said. Supporters, including the city of Charleston, have contributed generously since the financial crunch late last year. But it's not enough. The center needs "reliable, consistent operating revenue" if it is to stay open beyond the end of the summer.

The unit used to serve about 150 students, he said. But now it has only 60. And the club no longer is able to serve a meal after school.

If the Shaw Unit must close, he said, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Trident Area would try to open another school site. But that would mean losing the historic site, which has a gym, weight room and other important facilities. It also would mean the closing of a safe and educational program for children in a neighborhood that desperately needs such a place, he said.

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.