Clinton, NC, August 15, 2007 – Sampson Center children and Sampson Center Director, Tim Boykin teamed up with Members Credit Union to begin external renovations of the popular youth center. The crew battled nearly one hundred-degree heat to paint ten sets of external doors a brighter, more inviting color.
The center, located at the former Sampson High School and operated by the Clinton Recreation & Parks Department, provides neighborhood children with a safe environment for athletics, games, and even homework. Boykin provided the inspiration for the project and knows first hand why the Sampson Center renovations are needed.
“For a lot of these kids, the center is a babysitter while their parents work,” Boykin explains. “If this place was not here where would they go? There is already too many negative influences waiting out there, what other choices would they have?”
Members Credit Union recognized the vital role the center played in the lives of these children soon after moving to Clinton three years ago. The credit union has spent the last year raising money for the center in what became known as “The Block Project”.
“How could you not support a place like this?” comments Member Credit Union’s Carla Kimel, who spearheaded the project. “Mr. Boykin strives to improve the lives of the youngsters in Clinton and the Sampson Center opens the door for him to succeed. Hopefully this project will open people’s eyes to the amazing power of cooperation and community support.”
Boykin has been a strong voice communicating the needs of the community. In honor of his devotion, the Clinton Recreation & Parks Department with help from Members Credit Union planted and dedicated a crape myrtle in the center’s front courtyard area. The tree was both a tribute to Boykin’s hard work and the cornerstone of over $102,000 in planned renovations through 2010 thanks to grants obtained by the Clinton Recreation & Parks Department.