New Capital Grant Funds Renovation of Ronald L. McDaniel Boys & Girls Club to Strengthen Teen Engagement
Richmond, IN, February 24, 2026 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County and United Way of Whitewater Valley are excited to announce that the Boys & Girls Clubs has received a matching capital grant of up to $100,000 from the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Initiative in support of renovations at the Ronald L. McDaniel Boys & Girls Club, located at 1990 West Main Street, Richmond. After upgrades are complete, the McDaniel Unit will be ready to welcome new and continuing members and their families in a high-quality environment that encourages participation in a variety of sports and educational programs, helping teens build a bright future.
Funding for this project was made possible due to United Way of Whitewater Valley’s membership in Indiana United Ways, the state membership association for local United Ways serving Indiana counties.
“Local assessments show a pattern of poor academic performance, behavioral challenges, and declining health among youth, underscoring the need for timely intervention to keep them on track to reach their full potential. United Way and Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County have long partnered to improve these outcomes through recreational sports and youth programs that build skills and reduce negative behaviors. This grant makes it possible to deliver those services in a more functional, sustainable space,” said Tamara Brinkman, President of United Way of Whitewater Valley.
“Maintaining engagement of teens in Clubs beyond age thirteen is challenging but critical to ensure that they have safe spaces and strong role models during a time when they are vulnerable to substance use and the pressures of transitioning to high school. The renovation of the McDaniel Club is critical to ensuring we can continue to offer relevant spaces for teens in Richmond,” said Jon York, Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County. “It also ensures members of our community can observe Club sporting events in a more comfortable setting.”
The renovation of the Ronald L. McDaniel Boys & Girls Club is slated to start in June 2026, and includes painting the gym, replacing the existing vinyl tile floor with a more sustainable, regulation wood gym floor, installing storage, and updating the heating and air conditioning systems to provide better climate control for the gym space.
“In other Clubs, improvements like these have proven to increase participation of youth in sports and other forms of exercise and lead to positive social interactions and healthy choices for teens and families,” said York. “Having a high-quality gymnasium space has also increased participation in other Club activities that impart healthy coping skills and build learning skills, like our WIN (Workforce Initiative Network) program and vaping and substance use prevention programs. We’re eager to see teens in Richmond benefit from all Club activities, and we’re grateful to all our funding partners, including the Ronald L. McDaniel Foundation and United Way, for making this progress possible.”
To follow the progress of the renovation, follow Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County on Facebook/Meta @BGCRichmond.
To learn whether your capital project might qualify for a grant from the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Initiative, contact United Way of Whitewater Valley at 765-962-2700.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County is “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.” Members of the Club, ages 6-18, have access to dedicated, trained professionals who provide guidance in adopting healthy lifestyles and pursuing educational objectives. Currently, the Club serves youth at six locations: the Jeffers, McDaniel, First Bank, Wayne Bank, and Hagerstown units; The CLUB Teen Center; and their 168-acre Camp Guy located on the Whitewater River. Since 1957, the Club has been striving to equip young people with the skills they need to succeed in life. For more information, visit www.bgcrichmond.org.
About United Way of Whitewater Valley
In existence since 1928, United Way of Whitewater Valley is a nonprofit organization serving Wayne and Union Counties. United Way of Whitewater Valley focuses on improving the health, education, and financial outcomes of struggling, working households through convening of cross-sectoral and multi-sectoral stakeholders, program support, information dissemination, public policy action, and grant-making. They mobilize their community to action so all can thrive. For more information about the United Way of Whitewater Valley, visit givetheunitedway.com or call 765-962-2700.
About Indiana United Ways
Indiana United Ways (IUW) is the state membership association for local United Ways serving Indiana counties. It provides a wide range of advocacy, training, technical assistance, networking, and grant opportunities to ensure that local United Ways meet their community’s most pressing needs. Between 2024 and 2028, the Statewide Capital Projects Initiative at IUW will award $80 million in matching grants to select nonprofit organizations. Only nonprofits that directly provide essential health and human services may be eligible to apply. All applications must be submitted in collaboration with the local IUW member United Way serving the county in which a project is located. To learn more about the Statewide Capital Projects Initiative, go to iuw.org/capitalprojects.
