Minor repairs have been made to the local Boys and Girls Club, but there is still a long road ahead for the club’s aging facility.
The Yazoo Herald first brought the deteriorating conditions of the former school building that houses the club to light on Jan. 30.
The Yazoo City Municipal School District, which owns the building, has made a few repairs to the Canal Street location.
“We did make some repairs,” said John Wallace, school board president. “And we are anticipating to do some more in the future. We want to help the club in anyway that we can.”
The Herald visited the local club last January and found restricted areas that held excessive amounts of water damage and what appeared to be black mold.
Buckling under the strain of rainfall and water, ceiling panels were falling to the ground. Light fixtures were hanging by one cord from a collapsed ceiling panel. Floor tiles were soft, filled with water.
The entire south hallways of the club was closed off to the public.
And the gymnasium was a damp and wet cesspool of damaged floors and possible black mold.
Stayce Allen, director of operations with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta, said there are still some restricted areas in the club for the safety of the children.
“My hallway leak has stopped thanks to repairs,” she said, in reference to her office area. “But the repairs to the lights and ceilings haven’t happened yet. There are still some small leaks in other spots as well.”
Allen said that side of the club is the only area where the water leaks have been addressed.
“There are still puddles in other areas that we have to put trash cans out,” she said.
At times, the children inside the club are rotated from classroom to classroom to adjust with the areas of concern.
And the gymnasium remains completely shutoff from the club’s operations.
“The gym hasn’t been touched,” Allen said. “When it rains, it floods in there.”
The gymnasium appears to be the most costly project of the facility. The roof above it provides no shelter from rainfall and other water leakage.
“And what appears to be black mold is steadily appearing on top of what was already there,” Allen added.
Allen said the absence of the gymnasium has hit the local club hard.
“Not having our gym hurts us,” Allen said. “In the summer, we will play outside as much as we can. But that gym greatly helped us for recreation. The kids really miss that gym.”
The club has 82 children as of now. In the summer, that number will double to close to 150 children. Last year, 152 children signed up for the popular summer session.
“We have a Boys and Girls Club that is in dire need of help,” said Alderman Aubry Brent Jr., during the last city council meeting.
Brent said he is reminded of the words of President John F. Kennedy who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” He said Yazooans need to have the same attitude about their own community.
“I'm asking members of this community who have the necessary skills to please consider helping fix this club,” Brent said. “The gym needs help, and the floors are damaged. I would like to see the community come together and help us get this fixed for our children. They need it.”
Local groups and churches have volunteered with service projects for the club in the past. But much of their hard work is in vain if the building is not properly maintained.
“It’s a snowball effect,” Allen said. “The building is just not being taken care of. We do the best that we can do as a club to maintain it and keep our children safe.”
Allen said she is grateful for the small repairs that have been made. But she hopes the projects remain on the radar of those responsible for the building.
The Herald will continue to follow the progress of the club’s repairs.
