Tyiesha Sweed's parents didn't believe in her, but the Boys and Girls Club did.
"Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you weren't worth anything because other people around you were constantly putting you down?" the 18-year-old said during remarks to hundreds of area business leaders and local officials during the annual banquet of the Boys and Girls Club of the Brazos Valley.
"What if you grew up in a situation where there was no bright side in life?" she said, explaining that was what her upbringing was like. "The club became the brightness in my life and has been for three years. It's a place where I feel accepted and loved."
The organization's first meeting of 2010 marked the end of the 50th year the local club has provided a safe place for children to gather after school, a milestone club president Ron Rolett said wouldn't have been possible without the community's support.
When Rolett moved to Brazos Valley in 1990, it was known as the Boys Club, he said. In April of that year, girls were invited.
In addition to expanding services to girls, Rolett said, members have been able to add two facilities and are planning on a third.
Last year, the club provided services to more than 2,100 area children, Rolett said.
"It's the people in our community that make our clubs," he said. "Thousands of dedicated volunteers have dedicated their time over the years to make that possible. Our staff provides the consistent influence that our youth needs."
Sweed, a senior at A&M Consolidated High School, said life was hectic and hard before she found the club.
Her father has 17 kids, she said, and she watched her mother get beaten by her stepdad. Sometimes she found herself sleeping in cars and was constantly moving, she said.
"Both my parents told me I wasn't going to be anything in life," she said, managing to smile. "They told me I was too fat to be a cheerleader. Thanks to the Boys and Girls Club, life has changed for me and I see it as home."
Sweed said she wouldn't be the same if it weren't for the love and support she receives from the many volunteers and few staff members.
For the first time in the local club's history, Rolett presented one of his eight staff members with the National Professional Service Award from the Boys and Girls Club of America. Tiffany Parker received the award, which is given to only a few staff members across the country for their commitment to being a positive influence in the lives of club members.
State Sen. Steve Ogden received the club's Man and Youth Award, which is given to leaders who work to improve and develop clubs across the state.
The 2010 Boys and Girls board members were sworn in at the end of the meeting.
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