Affinity Plus Pays It Forward At The Boys & Girls Club

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union in Bemidji may be closed for the day, but employees are hard at work for the 5th Annual Plus It Forward Day, where they’re helping out the Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area.

“We are just truly grateful to be able to be out in our community to be able to spread kindness and show others how it feels to be kind to other people,” said Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union Branch Manager Sarah Eberwine.

By the end of the day, the Boys & Girls Club will have a facelift.

“We’re helping reorganize at the Club. We’re outside working on the grounds, we are inside painting, putting together some crafts and doing some deep cleaning,” said Eberwine.

The Boys & Girls Club doesn’t employ a full-time maintenance worker, so completing a to-do list of 175 tasks, including pulling weeds, painting and mopping, takes a lot of manpower.

“Over 75 percent of our funding comes from local businesses and local individuals and through our special events, so it is our communty’s Boys & Girls Club,” said Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area Executive Director Andrea Ohnstad. “We’re thankful for those that make this part of their daily, weekly and yearly lives.”

Sixty-eight employees are here giving back and helping out for the full day. That equals about 550 hours of volunteering.

The reaction on some of the kids faces when they saw their new club was priceless.

“My reaction was, ‘oh my God!'” said Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area member Michael Potter.

The nearly 200 kids that come to the club after school will have a new and exciting place to learn and do countless activities.

“I’m going to be happy because I think more people will come in to learn, because there’s more stuff here,” said Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area Member Reese Bates. “I want them to learn more stuff.”

This was another step forward in reinventing a community area to show kids how much people care about them.