![\"students](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/forwisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2015\/03\/UW-Stout_boysgirlsclub2-300x239.jpg\")
<\/a>When she learned about the opening of a new club in Menomonie, she jumped on the opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cUpon receiving the offer as the center director of the Club here in Menomonie, I was extremely excited to put forth my experience and education to serve youth in the Menomonie area,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Pair sees joys and challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n Joys and challenges come each day, DeMuth said. One of the challenges is working with families to get their children signed up.<\/p>\n The Club is at River Heights Elementary School, thus promoting it to children is easy. \u201cBut ultimately, we have to rely on parents to enroll their child in the Club,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Another challenge is volunteer recruitment. \u201cWe are a small staff, and we rely heavily on the assistance of volunteers and interns,\u201d DeMuth said.<\/p>\n But then there are the joys.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main joy of my position is knowing and seeing firsthand the difference we are making in the lives of community youth. Not only are we a safe, positive place for kids to go to after school and during summer break, we are providing mentorship and educational resources to tomorrow\u2019s adults,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI absolutely love hearing from members how the Club has shaped their lives and how the Club has provided them opportunities that they might not have had,\u201d DeMuth said.<\/p>\n Sales, of Park Falls, is responsible for behavior management of the children and volunteer recruitment. He also assists with the supervision of staff and volunteers, with donor stewardship and membership recruitment.<\/p>\n He too experiences trials in his position. Working with cognitively challenged kids and learning about the resource development side of a Boys & Girls Club are challenging, but even they have become joys, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels great to be able to overcome the challenges and accept new ones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The joys are obvious. \u201cI love the kids we work with. They\u2019re very well-mannered overall; 95 percent of them like working on homework with us, and they each have their own bond with each staff member,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also enjoys working with the staff. \u201cWe all work very well as a cohesive unit,\u201d Sales said.<\/p>\n Sales started college with an undeclared major until his adviser encouraged him to study human development and family studies.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the best decision of my college career,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI very much enjoy working with youth of all populations and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n Club programs and hours<\/strong><\/p>\n Since its debut, the Menomonie center, which is part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley, has averaged 25 to 30 boys and girls a day. It has 51 members with a projection of more than 100 members by May.<\/p>\n The Club offers programs in five core areas: character and leadership; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and education and career. \u201cWe run over 40 programs, offering youth enrichment programs to set members up for future success and to be kind and caring citizens,\u201d DeMuth said.<\/p>\n The Club is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, when schools are in session. On early release days, it is open from 12:45 to 7 p.m. Sales and DeMuth are the only full-time paid staff at the Menomonie Boys & Girls Club.<\/p>\n \u201cWe like to provide a wide variety of programs and activities to cater to all of our members\u2019 interests and have them try and learn something new,\u201d Sales said.<\/p>\n<\/a>