The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo, an organization that started in the 1950s, has operated from 17 locations in that time but is now settling in at its new home at Portage and Vine streets, in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood. And Chief Executive Officer Matt Forkin has been part of the organization since signing on as a summer camp counselor 17 years ago.
“We were here in Edison for nearly 50 years, so we’re excited to rebuild relationships with second and third generations of families,” the 36-year-old says. “When I’m working the pickup line (where parents pick up their children) outside, I see so many former club members from when I was 22 and they were 15. It’s really cool to know they’re bringing their kids because of the experience they had.”
After a busy summer, the club is hosting weekday after-school programs, which include sports; learning to paint with watercolors, make pottery or do graphic design; creating music; and even learning 3D printing or computer coding for programming drones.
During a tour of the new building, Forkin credits his staff, board, donors and wife, Taryn, for their partnerships during a very busy year.
“I’ve seen that if you work hard (and) you put the kids first, anything’s possible. I think I’m a testament to that. Surround yourself with the right people, listen, learn and what’s meant to be, will be.”
How did you get where you are today?
I was born and raised on the east side of the state and moved here for college. I come from a very blue-collar home, and one of the tenets of my childhood was to learn how to work hard. The message at home was: “You need to go and get a degree because that’s going to afford you a life of non-manual labor.” I was never a strong student, and coming to WMU proved no different.
When I was 19, I saw a posting for a summer camp counselor, and I thought that was something I could do. I completely fell in love with it once I saw how the Boys and Girls Clubs can help lift people up. A full-time opportunity became available here and I took it. I didn’t finish my degree, but I think challenging the norm is part of what the club does. I’ve had a lot of luck and a lot of privilege along the way, but sometimes you can create your own luck.
I started as a youth development professional, which is our frontline staff, the most important and hardest position that we have. I had a ton of really good mentors who challenged me to be the best version of myself in order to help young people reach that in themselves. I always talk about how the club is a place of belonging for young people, but I also found a place that I belonged. Last year I served as interim CEO for about six months, and then last fall I was named the permanent CEO.
Tell us about the club’s beautiful new building.
We opened June 8, and from the start, we hit our capacity of 120 kids. The original plan was for the building to be two stories at 35,000 square feet and cost about $7 million, but then Covid-19 hit (boosting construction costs). We ended up with a one-story building with 22,000 square feet, costing $12.5 million, but we built the mechanical system to allow us to build that second story when we can.
A facility like this gives us the opportunity to do so much more to give young people a place where they feel supported. This building is so full of life and learning — it’s a place where we learn to fail and pick ourselves back up and to push ourselves in ways that we didn’t know we could.
As an example of the magic about this place, two weeks ago we couldn’t get our 3D printer figured out because we just don’t have experts in house. One of our teens sat there and figured it out. They unlocked this area of their brain that maybe they didn’t know was there. It was really cool to see that unfold in real time.
During the school year, we’re open from 3 to 7 p.m. for drop-ins, with lots of choices of what to do, and from 7 to 8 p.m. for targeted, small group programs. We’ll have a washer and dryer soon, because clean clothes can be really important to kids. Our commercial kitchen is nearing completion, and we’ll be able to do programming in the culinary arts. We had nearly 75 teens getting their food safety certification this summer, something that can help them get that first job.
The learning that happens here is some-times unconventional, but it’s meaningful and it’s authentic. When you see young people here learning, they’re doing it out of excitement and passion.
What keeps you up at night?
Imagining how we, as an organization, can be better. That’s what keeps us coming back to work every day, why we have so many staff that have been here for so long. Something this powerful doesn’t happen from any one person doing it alone, and that’s the spirit here: Everything should be a partnership, because when we have more minds around the table, we have more energy, skill sets and life experience, and that’s how really magical things happen.
For instance, the past five summers we’ve partnered with the Kalamazoo Civic to do a free theater camp where kids get top-tier dance, theater and vocal training, culminating in a full-on musical performance. This year, we produced Matilda, and it was unbelievable to see the growth from day one to that final showcase 10 weeks later.
What does the organization need from the community?
Beyond financial support, it would be volunteering your skills. We need somebody who might teach kids to sew or print T-shirts, do 3D printing or graphic design, or people who love the game of basketball or gardening or reading to kids.
Sometimes it takes someone else to believe in us for us to believe in ourselves, and that’s what the club can do. I’ve given this place so much because it deserves nothing less.
— Interview by Katie Houston, edited for length and clarity
