The Boys and Girls Club of the Redwoods Helping Humboldt’s Youth

Mercer-Fraser Co. is a construction contractor and construction material producer in Humboldt County, CA. The company, which has constructed many infrastructure projects in California, is a big supporter of community projects in its home base. Mercer-Fraser Co. has been one of the supporters of the Boys and Girls Club of the Redwoods.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Redwoods is a youth development initiative targeted at young people aged 6–18 years in Humboldt County. They provide mentoring and interventions to develop young people into well-rounded citizens. It has more than 1,500 youth members.

The program has five areas for youth development: sports, fitness and social recreation, character and leadership development, health and life skills, the arts, plus education and career. Members usually meet after school in clubhouses to intermingle with their peers, participate in fun activities, get academic tutoring and a free meal, and learn life skills from adult mentors.

There is an annual four-week summer camp, Camp Odyssey, where children aged 9–12 years get involved in engaging science and technology activities that stimulate learning and field trips to places of interest in Humboldt County.

The program includes the teen court and substance abuse intervention program, run in conjunction with County agencies, for helping juvenile teenagers change destructive behaviors. The teen court is run by teenagers, which provides a learning avenue on the justice system and civic society.