Education

‘Heart of the Sheldon community’: Boys and Girls Club closing facility’s doors

Stock image
Stock image Canva

Editor’s note: The CEO of Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry explained the changes on Friday, May 26. For an updated story, please click here.

The Boys and Girls Club in Sheldon is permanently closing its doors on Friday.

The decision to close has left some families concerned about child care after the Memorial Day weekend.

Boys and Girls Club Services will reportedly be moved into schools, with middle school students reporting to Whale Branch and younger kids to Sheldon Elementary.

Ginny Bankov, a volunteer who works with the students on pottery and ceramics, confirmed the abrupt closing. She said about 30 children, all in middle school and younger, typically participate in the after-school programming.

“It’s been such a beautiful place, and it’s changed lives,” Bankov said. “It’s just the heart of the Sheldon community.”

The reasons behind the closing were not made public.

Messages left for administrators with the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry were not immediately returned.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 5:11 PM.

Karl Puckett
The Island Packet
Karl Puckett covers the city of Beaufort, town of Port Royal and other communities north of the Broad River for The Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet. The Minnesota native also has worked at newspapers in his home state, Alaska, Wisconsin and Montana.
Lisa Wilson
The Island Packet
Lisa Wilson is senior reporter for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette covering restaurant and retail business openings and closings along with occasional breaking news. The newsroom veteran has worked for papers in Louisiana and Mississippi and is happy to call the Lowcountry home.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER