The Marshfield Area Community Foundation is proud to support the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield through a multi-year community grant as they campaign to create a stronger, more connected, and more resilient community with a permanent location. Boys & Girls Club of Portage County CEO Danielle Belsky describes this campaign as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape what it means to grow up in Marshfield.
Belsky’s confidence in the project is drawn from her experience in Boys & Girls Club, but also locally in relationship with the board and several supportive educators, board members, and local businesses, “What stands out most about the Boys & Girls Club Marshfield project is how strongly the community has stepped up to support it. This support is not driven by obligation—it’s driven by a shared belief in doing what’s right for kids and families. Marshfield has come together in a very authentic way, showing that this community is truly in it for the right reasons and committed to building something that will make a lasting difference.”
Temporary Space to Permanent Home
From borrowed corners of elementary schools to their goal of a 30,000-square-foot Club designed specifically for youth and teens, the Club first found its footing in Marshfield by partnering with the School District to open a school-based site at Grant Elementary, offering summer programming in shared spaces like classrooms and the gym. This validated that the need was strong for safe, structured, affordable after-school and summer options for Marshfield kids.
The Marshfield Club has operated out of shared school spaces like gyms, cafeterias, and classrooms—a partnership that has allowed the Club to get started but also limits how many young people can be served. Currently, that means capacity for roughly 70–100 youth, often limited to students who attend the host school and can access transportation.
A permanent facility will change that equation entirely, allowing the Club to serve close to 300 youth from across the community every day. Instead of adapting to whatever space is available, staff will finally have rooms designed specifically for academic support, teen programming, arts, technology, wellness, and quiet reflection—spaces built with Marshfield kids in mind. Key opportunities include:
- Tripling daily capacity so more kids and teens can attend, not just those at one school or with flexible transportation.
- Dedicated areas for tutoring, STEM and arts programs, teen leadership, and social-emotional learning, rather than rotating through shared school rooms.
- Daily meals and snacks, so youth who may not have access to dinner or nutritious food after school can count on one reliable place to eat.
- A Boys & Girls Club Closet, where kids can confidentially access clothing, hygiene products, backpacks, food, and other essentials.
The Club can then offer more openings and deeper, more consistent support for each child and family.
Stability Families Can Count On
For Marshfield parents and caregivers the Club offers a safe, supervised environment during the hours when many adults are still at work, providing peace of mind that their children are somewhere structured, positive, and caring.
For youth, consistency means showing up each day to familiar, trusted adults who know their names, stories, and goals, engaging in a predictable routine that includes homework help, healthy snacks, physical activity, creative expression, and time with friends, and having a reliable space where, even when life feels chaotic, they are consistently welcomed, valued, and supported. Over time, those daily routines build trust and relationships that ripple outward—strengthening families, reinforcing school success, and creating a more connected Marshfield community.
Childhood Hub, Community Asset
When kids see the same community partners regularly—in their Club, in their neighborhood, in their schools—it deepens their sense of belonging. When youth have safe, structured places to go after school, schools see better attendance and engagement, and employers benefit from a more stable workforce. Less opportunity for risky behavior strengthens neighborhoods. Investing in the Club is a way of investing in the overall quality of life in Marshfield.
Director of Community Outreach for the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield Kaitlyn Konrardy highlighted specific ways the community can engage with the Club to this end:
- Mentors from local businesses, healthcare, and manufacturing can engage with the Club to help youth explore careers and build job skills.
- Schools, law enforcement, and service organizations can network through the Club to coordinate support for families.
- Volunteers can engage with service opportunities that connect adults of all ages with the next generation of Marshfield residents.
The Marshfield Area Community Foundation’s multi-year community grant has contributed to bringing this project from vision to reality, partnering to ensure that the Club could launch programming, demonstrate impact, and build the momentum needed for a permanent site.
To Get Involved:
To learn more about Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield, visit here.
To make a donation to our Community Grants Fund, visit here.