RACINE — Nalah McWhorter says she noticed a gap in services for kids in Racine when she was a teenager in the city. Now, she's made it her mission to bring a Boys & Girls Club to area to address those needs.
"Kids still feel that same way," she said. "They don't have anything to do, they don't have resources, and, you know, just access to mentorship and programming."
Watch: Racine woman hopes to bring Boys & Girls Club to city:
She says the idea initially came to her when she was in high school. Now as an adult, she's able to take steps toward making it a reality.
"I just kind of took it on as my new project to not only carry out that dream I had in high school but to really fill that gap for the kids," McWhorter said.
These clubs exist in other parts of Wisconsin, including Milwaukee and Kenosha, but not in Racine.
McWhorter, who also works for the Boys & Girls Club in Milwaukee, said she made a call to Boys and Girls Clubs of America over the summer to get some direction on how to take steps toward bringing the organization to her hometown.
"Their biggest thing for me was to get the community behind it," McWhorter said.
In response, she started a petition.
"Just the amount of support and amazing words and things that I've been hearing from people have just been very, you know, very motivating," McWhorter said.
The petition, which she started in November, had about 800 signatures as of Sunday.
"I think it's even stronger to just hear people talk about their want and need for their kids to have something positive and productive to do," she said.
Alder Malik Frazier, who represents the city's east side, told TMJ4's Racine County reporter Lauren Sklba about McWhorter's efforts. He says he applauds McWhorter for recognizing a need and taking steps to address it.
While there are community centers in Racine, McWhorter says that doesn't negate the need for more services.
"We can bring more amazing things to the city for these kids, and still strengthen the opportunities and the resources that they have still here today," McWhorter said.
She says Boys & Girls Clubs offer something unique under one roof.
"Our kids need something more," McWhorter said. "Tailored programming and that very intentional mentorship."
McWhorter is actively building a steering committee made up of community members. In the coming months, she aims to get key players from the city, county and Boys and Girls Club in one room to help move her effort forward.
"My biggest goal is just to bring resources, to bring accessibility to our kids," McWhorter said.
City of Racine Mayor Cory Mason said in a statement, "If local organizers choose to pursue a Boys & Girls Club for Racine, the City would be glad to see that effort move forward. We support any community-driven initiative that expands opportunities for our youth."
Mayor Mason said the city shares McWhorter's passion for "creating more opportunities for young people," and highlighted the new King Community Center and health clinic being built, as well as the city's community centers.
McWhorter said she hopes to see a Boys & Girls Club in the City of Racine in the next five years. Anyone interested in learning more about or joining her effort can contact her at nalah.mcwhorter@gmail.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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