LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- A huge effort is underway to reopen a popular spot for children in a troubled Louisville neighborhood. But there is still concern about its future.
Management hopes to reopen the Parkland Boys and Girls Club by the end of the month. However, it may not happen unless volunteers step up to help out.
Mike Hamsley starts a new job on Monday. But instead of saving his strength and taking it easy, he is hard at work at the Parkland Boys & Girls Club. "I think if you give to other people, it's going to come back to you at some point. They seem like they need a lot of help down here, and after walking through the building, I noticed they do need a lot of help," says Hamsley.
The cars that line the street outside the Boys and Girls Club belong to Hamsley and other volunteers working to get the place in shape, but it's a big job and more help is needed.
"Basically, what we're going to try to do is put a fresh coat of paint on every room in the building. That's why we need a lot of volunteers -- there's a lot of painting to be done," says Desmond Walls, the unit director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana.
Walls says the goal is to reopen the club on June 30th. "We're calling all volunteers to come out and lend a hand." But to meet the deadline, they need groups to volunteer.
Walls says, "Whether you're a retired senior citizen or you're a church group... any group that you have, please come out. We need groups for painting, cleaning, and organizing things."
Reopening the club has been on the radar all summer, but became crucial after a violent stretch that included a fatal shooting in the middle of a double murder investigation.
"Obviously the crime is a greater issue that has to be addressed through more avenues than just the boys and girls clubs. But at the same time, it will give kids a safe place to go," says Walls.
Hamsley says, "He told me where the address was on 32nd, and I said, oh my gosh, that's right where the violence was."
Hamsley also admits he had some initial concerns, but after Thursday, they're gone.
"And if I have the time next week, when I have some days off, I'll be down here for some painting, too."
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