Boys and Girls Club offering childcare, virtual mentoring

Club offers families with care, virtual club

The Boys and Girls Club of Hernando County is assisting families through the COVID-19 crisis with childcare, a virtual clubhouse and virtual mentoring.

Childcare is available from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at its Westside School-Age Unit and Westside Preschool at 5404 Applegate Drive, Spring Hill. Registration is available for children of first-responders, healthcare professionals, school district employees and essential community personnel. New member registration is being waived during the pandemic. The school-age weekly rate is $75, and preschool rates vary from $85-$105, depending on age.

The Cyber Clubhouse, which began April 1, includes daily virtual club programming on the Facebook group page, “Hernando County Cyber Clubhouse." It includes opportunities for physical activity and educational exercises.

Virtual mentoring and prevention programming also is available through Zoom. Through critical-thinking games and discussions about anxiety, emotions and decision-making, mentoring and prevention programming helps youth to learn key life skills for coping.

For information and registration for childcare, call (352) 666-0068, ext. 101 or 127.

Elder Hotline provides referral of resources

The Area Agency on Aging’s Elder Options, which serves 16 counties in North Central Florida, including Hernando County, offers funding to provide services such as meals, shopping assistance, virtual support groups and daily well-being calls for seniors.

The agency partners with agencies and local service providers to serve low-income seniors through home-delivered meals (Meals on Wheels), personal care, transportation and other in-home services that help seniors remain at home and avoid or delay the need for nursing home care.

Seniors in need or with questions can call the Elder Helpline for referral of resources at 1-800-262-2243.