By Todd Wineburner

Awareness of contagious disease is at an all-time high and many agencies are avoiding personal contact, but the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County is keeping its doors open on a limited basis. Club CEO Jodi Martin says parents in a variety of essential service jobs can apply for admission to a special program created exclusively for them. “One of the things we realized,” Martin said in a recent interview with WJEZ, “was that parents need a place for their kids, especially if they’re working at the hospitals or emergency services.”

Martin says this is a unique situation for her organization, and that special registration is required. At the club’s website there is a registration form that must be filled out prior to using the club’s services. If an applicant is accepted, Boys and Girls Club staff members will contact them regarding membership and attendance.

Martin adds that the club will operate with health in mind. She says the locations in Fairbury and Pontiac have already been deep-cleaned and that children who use the program will be screened before entering the building. No adults other than staff will be allowed into the club for the duration of this special program.

There is no special charge for the program. Families that are already members of the Boys and Girls Club will pay nothing, while families who are not members will need to sign up for the usual 30-dollar annual membership fee.

Complete information about the program is available at BGCOLC.org. You can hear WJEZ’s conversation with Jodi Martin on the podcasts page of WJEZ.com.