Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach Addresses Mental Health in Teenagers
What the world needs now is more opportunities for teens to learn how to pause, take a breath, make positive choices, self-regulate, and live in healthy relationships surrounded by caring adults and enriching experiences. As an organization, Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach’s reason for being is to provide kids with a safe place to build resilience and thrive.
Even before the pandemic, Laguna Beach Unified School District had one of the highest rates of underage drug and alcohol use, depression, and anxiety in Orange County. On top of that, teens in general are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach’s commitment to providing kids with the healthy physical and mental tools for success are especially impactful during the middle school years because their brains development is going through a growth spurt much like a 2-year-old.
Teens are making decisions that can have lifelong ramifications. For instance, those who drink alcohol in middle school are exponentially more likely to have addiction problems as an adult. This is only part of the reason the OCDE (Orange County Department of Education) and CHOC (Childrens Hospital of Orange County) have been partnering with Design with Purpose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, to create WellSpaces throughout Orange County.
With generous support from the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach community and Deana Duffek of Design with Purpose, the Loft and WellSpace has been transformed into an inviting and healing oasis where our teenaged members can connect to support, resources, and information on a variety of physical and mental health topics that promotes whole-person wellness. Currently this space serves 20 to 30 teens daily with the capacity and expectations for growth.
As the saying goes, “we suffer in isolation and heal in community.” Here, we are building resilience through community.
Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach and Saddleback Branch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization EIN: 95-1878822. 1085 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. 949.494.2535 www.bgclagunabeach.org Follow us on Instagram @bgclagunabeach and @bgcsaddleback
Design with Purpose www.design-with-purpose.org Instagram: @designwith.purpose
Photos Credit: Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach and Saddleback Branch
