Bluffton’s Boys and Girls Club is getting bigger. Here’s what’s new

The Boys and Girls Club of Bluffton is getting bigger with an expansion of its building that will help aid literacy.

The club opened its new Literacy Center of Excellence Thursday, according to a news release. The 2,700-square-foot expansion of its building is the result of the launch of its comprehensive reading program in 2014.

The expansion was made possible with a $75,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. With that grant and other donations, the club raised more than $650,000 in less than a year, the release said.

“Seeing the astronomical growth in Bluffton and the need to serve more of youth, expanding our club was a must,” Molly Hornbeak, director of the club, said. “We know that reading on grade level by the third grade is critical, and we are thrilled that our new Literacy Center will greatly increase the impact on these young people’s lives. I want to thank our generous Bluffton community for making the dream a reality.”

The expansion will double the number of children served in the reading intervention program. The capital campaign also allowed the club to renovate its parking lot and add 50 additional spaces, expand its STEM program into the former reading program space and will soon bring approximately 100 additional members to the club.

This story was originally published May 9, 2019 at 2:49 PM.