Lilly

Working at Club isn’t easy regardless of the Clubhouse you’re located at, but there is a very different approach that must be taken when working at a school-based site. From program areas being shuffled around to teachers, administration, and custodians each having their own view of how Club should be run. Then once the kids arrive, we have to navigate their needs as well as the wants of their guardians, all while keeping everyone safe and sane.

For this staff member, all of these things have been true but they have had the added bonus of losing space due to black mold, losing space to KinderReady classes, doing the work of multiple program managers over the summer by themselves, and fostering a brand new relationship with new administration and custodians. However, through it all, Lilly has held her own while keeping our members safe and accountable.

The challenges, while obvious in their constraints, are more subtle in how they fully hindered our ability to keep our members safe and our staff supported. In her first months as a Program Manager, we discovered that there was a bad black mold problem behind our bookshelves at the McKinley Clubhouse. While the organization wasn’t responsible for finding vendors and getting the repairs done, there was the immediate setback of trying to navigate the first days of Club, one Lilly was brand new to, with the least amount of upset. Then, we were informed that at the end of that year, we would be losing our space to KinderReady the next school year. Throughout both of those school years, we were informed that we were too loud, Club members were too rambunctious, and we were not using spaces according to how different staff in the school felt they needed to be. Each time a concern was brought forth, Lilly sought guidance and shared her own concerns on how we could keep the members safe and our staff successful. Whether it was having difficult conversations with the school, parents or other stake holders, Lilly has never shied away from having the conversations that matter for our members.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County is exceedingly grateful that Lilly has stuck it out and continues to provide for our members at the McKinley Clubhouse. The list of her dedication could have become too large and her effort too much, but Lilly has put her head down and made the best of it every step of the way. Thank you, Lilly, for your heart, your determination, and above all, your effort to Build Safe Kids & Clubs.