Generous support from Must! Charities makes it all possible

CRESTON — It’s back to school time in the rural community of Creston in North San Luis Obispo County, and for the second year, children at Creston Elementary School will benefit from an after-school program right on their campus, provided by Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast. Since early 2022, the organization established a school-based site to help with the urgent need for childcare in that community. Through a financial partnership with Must! Charities — a local convener of financial resources that helps focus philanthropy on meeting urgent needs in the San Luis Obispo region — the clubs and all operating costs are covered by Must!  

Creston Elementary School may be small, but it serves all children in this rural area east of Atascadero. With parents commuting out of the area for work, safe, high-quality child care is a great need for working parents. 

With programs like Power Hour — a homework help program offered every day by the Boys & Girls Club — the National Fine Arts Program, STEAM activities, programs that help children learn about health and healthy choices, the services offered by Boys & Girls Clubs help Creston students have the best after-school experience possible. 

Jennifer Kinnear, who was the de facto head of school for most of last year shares, “Boys & Girls Club has been such an amazing addition to Creston Elementary School! It provides easy access to childcare for our working parents who might normally have to drive into Atascadero or Paso. This allows them to work without interruption and gas expenses, providing more income for their households. In addition, all of our students want to go to Boys & Girls Club, knowing they get extra time with their friends, dedicated time and help with homework, and then their evening free with family. Boys & Girls Club is a wine win.”  

Emily Reneau, chief of philanthropy for BGCMCC, has worked closely with the team at Must! to develop this partnership. She shares, “We value our partnership with Must! Charities. Because of the seed money provided by them, we were able to open up the Creston Club and develop the foundation to sustain operations for future years.” 

The intention is to serve this community with high-quality after-school programming as long as the community needs it.  

For more information about after-school programs offered by Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, visit centralcoastkids.org and for information on the philanthropy provided by Must! Charities visit mustcharities.org.  

Feature Image: Some kids at Creston Elementary School enjoy their time at the after-school program provided by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast. Contributed Photo