Healthy Bodies. Strong Minds. Supported Futures.
Helping young people feel confident, connected, and ready to reach their full potential.
Extending Wellness Beyond Physical Fitness
Through age-appropriate health education, active recreation, nutritious food access, positive relationships, and support from caring adults, members gain tools that can strengthen their physical, social, and emotional well-being. These experiences are woven throughout the Club day, helping young people make healthy choices, manage challenges, build self-esteem, and develop habits that can serve them throughout their lives.
Health & Wellness Impact
🥗 Encourages Healthy Choices
Young people learn habits that support nutrition, movement, personal care, and long-term well-being.
💙 Supports Emotional Wellness
Caring, trauma-informed staff help members feel safe, heard, respected, and supported.
🏃 Promotes Active Lifestyles
Physical activity gives youth positive ways to move, manage stress, build confidence, and have fun.
🤝 Strengthens Healthy Relationships
Programs encourage communication, empathy, respect, teamwork, and positive decision-making.
🧠 Builds Self-Awareness
Members learn to recognize their emotions, understand their needs, and make thoughtful choices.
A Whole-Person Approach to Wellness
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Age-appropriate programs introduce members to topics that support healthy development and positive choices. Depending on the program and age group, activities may address:
Healthy eating habits
Physical activity and personal fitness
Self-esteem and confidence
Personal care and hygiene
Healthy relationships
Emotional awareness
Positive decision-making
Stress management
Lessons are designed to be practical, engaging, and relevant to the everyday experiences of children and teens.
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Young people thrive when they know caring adults are in their corner.
Club staff build consistent relationships with members, listen without judgment, and create spaces where youth can feel comfortable being themselves. Staff are trauma-informed, helping them respond to young people with care, patience, and an understanding that behavior may reflect experiences or challenges beneath the surface.
While the Clubs do not replace professional mental health care, staff can provide encouragement, stability, and trusted adult support as young people navigate school, relationships, family changes, and other pressures.
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Movement plays an important role in both physical and emotional wellness. Aquatics, basketball, soccer, gym activities, active games, nature-based experiences, and other recreational opportunities help members stay active, relieve stress, and discover activities they enjoy.
Sports and recreation can also strengthen teamwork, perseverance, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
Explore our Sports & Recreation Programs
Great Futures Market, Powered by Hannaford
Expanding Food Access for Club Members and Their Families
In March 2026, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine opened the Great Futures Market at the Portland Clubhouse.
Created in partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets, the new food pantry helps expand access to nutritious food for Club members and their families. Hannaford contributed more than $30,000 in materials and labor to transform an existing storage space into a welcoming and accessible pantry.
The Great Futures Market reflects the Club’s broader approach to wellness. Teaching healthy eating habits is important, but families also need reliable access to the foods that support those habits. By addressing both education and access, the pantry provides practical support that extends beyond the Club day.
Club members must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to access the pantry. Quantities are limited to one of each available item per visit.
Hours, procedures, and availability may change. Please contact the Portland Club to confirm current information before visiting.
Pantry Location
Portland Clubhouse
277 Cumberland Avenue
Portland, Maine
Hours of Operation
Wednesdays: 12:00–1:00 PM
Fridays: 5:00–6:00 PM
Building Healthy Habits for Life
Health & Wellness programs help members develop practical skills and habits that can support them at the Club, at home, at school, and in their relationships.
Through Club experiences, young people can strengthen:
✔ Healthy decision-making
✔ Nutrition awareness
✔ Self-esteem and confidence
✔ Emotional awareness and self-regulation
✔ Communication and relationship skills
✔ Personal responsibility
✔ Stress-management strategies
✔ Teamwork and cooperation
✔ Physical fitness and coordination
✔ Greater comfort asking trusted adults for help
✔ Respect for themselves and others
Wellness Begins with Feeling Safe
Young people are better able to learn, participate, and grow when they feel physically and emotionally secure.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine is committed to creating welcoming environments where members are treated with dignity and respect. Staff provide appropriate supervision, establish clear expectations, encourage positive behavior, and work to make activities inclusive for young people with different interests, needs, and abilities.
Trauma-informed practices help staff respond thoughtfully and consistently when a member is struggling. When additional care may be needed, families are encouraged to seek support from qualified health or mental health professionals. Learn more about our safety protocols.
“When life felt stressful or overwhelming, the Club gave me a positive place where I could relax, be myself, and feel supported. The activities, friendships, and caring staff helped me stay grounded and move forward in a healthier direction.”
—Club Alumnus
A Place to Grow Stronger—Inside and Out
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, wellness means helping young people feel active, confident, connected, and supported.
Available at These Clubs
Programs vary by Club and season.