The Westlands Water District came through in a big way for the Mendota Boys & Girls Club.

The Westlands Water District recently came through in a big way for the Mendota Boys & Girls Club.

The Westlands Water District board voted unanimously to donate $36,000 to the organization after receiving a letter from Kathryn Weakland, vice president of development for the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota, explaining that the club would be at risk of closing without immediate funding.

“The shortfall is due to: increased operating costs, minimum wage increases and lack of sustainable funding sources,” Weakland said in the letter.

The Boys and Girls Club of Mendota serves more than 300 children, 95% of which live in public housing near the club. All of the children served have families living well below poverty level, with an average income of $16,000 a year.

Members of the club are provided space to learn grow and play, as well as nutritious meals daily.

Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands, said that supporting the club is one of the ways of mitigating socioeconomic impacts resulting from the district having retired nearly 40,000 acres of land near the City of Mendota.

The Boys and Girls Club of Mendota is still seeking to establish relationships with potential donors and create a fundraiser to ensure annual contributions keep it operational.

“We are so thankful to Westlands Water District Board of Directors for this generous gift to keep the doors of the Mendota Club open to children who rely on the services, positive environment and diversified educational programs provided by the Club every day,” Weakland said. “We are still working to secure permanent funding, but this will help us seek the right opportunities in the meantime.”