Hendersonville Boys And Girls Club Spotlight

A community doesn’t become stronger by accident, it happens when people build systems that make everyday life easier for families. We’re joined by Carlos Vega, chief operating officer at the Hendersonville Boys and Girls Club, and his story alone stops you in your tracks: he grew up in the club from age six through eighteen, and today he helps lead the same place that opened doors for him. That perspective turns a “nice nonprofit interview” into a practical look at what youth development really takes on the ground in Henderson County. 

We talk through the operations that most people never see, including free transportation from school to the club, plus breakfast, snacks, and lunch throughout the school year. Carlos explains why expanding morning hours matters for parents who have to clock in before eight, and how those changes now serve hundreds of kids before the day even hits full speed. We also dig into the opportunities that reshape a child’s confidence: tutoring and homework help, leadership groups for teens, STEM exposure, and field trips that range from museums to hiking and even whitewater rafting. 

The conversation also gives credit where it’s due, including the Fazio family and other community supporters who helped the organization grow from a small space into a major facility. Looking ahead, Carlos shares plans for expansion and why kindergarten through second grade remains a tough childcare gap, especially when many summer programs can cost $80 a week per child. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a real impact locally, we’ll point you to volunteer and tutoring needs, plus ways to connect. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people find stories like this.

Transcript

Ten Years On WHKP

SPEAKER_03 0:00

The George Real Estate Group Radio broadcast is celebrating 10 years on WHKP. The George Real Estate Group is celebrating 10 years on the radio live every Thursday morning at 1005 on WHKP 107.7 FM and AM 1450, and streaming online at WHKP.com. Each Friday morning at 845, the George Real Estate Group presents the Hometown Hero Award to someone in our community who goes above and beyond to make our hometown a better place to live. Here's this week's Hometown Hero Show. It's 8 45, and that means it's time for the George Real Estate Group Hometown Heroes series. We do every Friday morning. And uh filling in for Noah this week, Amy Lauder with the George Real Estate Group. Good morning, Amy.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Good morning. How are you today?

SPEAKER_03 0:59

I'm Peachy Keen. I tell you, you know, you just don't feel this good on any other day, do you? Friday.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

I love Friday, and I love getting to meet our hometown heroes.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

You were talking about that a few minutes ago. You've been filling in for Noah for a couple of times now, and and I believe you're getting hooked on our show here. It's a good show, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:19

It is, it sure

Local Listings And Where To Find Us

SPEAKER_01 1:20

is.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

Well, tell us about uh your week in real estate. What's what kind of deals you got going on? Is there an open house coming up this weekend, that kind of thing?

SPEAKER_01 1:30

We I'm I'm sure there are some at George Real Estate Group, but I'm I'm not sure of all of those. I'm thinking about the Amy team. Think about the Amy team. Those are the ones that I know about. We're not doing an open house this weekend, but we're gonna have some next weekend you can look for. Okay. Um but we have a couple of new listings since I've been here that I could talk about. Please do. We've got um 926 Toxaway Court. It is an Indian Hill and it it's a fixer upper. But if somebody is handy, it has a great layout, a great, great bones to it, it just needs some cosmetic updates, and it could be a wonderful home for somebody. Um then we have one uh 242 Carriage Summit Way that we've had listed a while but had taken off the market to do some repairs, and it is in uh phenomenal shape now and ready for somebody to make it a home as well.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Okay. Well, get us in touch. You you guys are in Flat Rock?

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Yes, we are. We're located right there next to the Flat Rock Bakery and Wrinkled Egg, that little Flat Rock strip there that everybody loves. Such good food there too, and so stop by and see us.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

All right, and of course, uh the website George Real Estate uh Realestate Group.com and the Greg site, and there's a whole bunch of listings on there. There are.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

We have a lot going on out there right now, and yeah, we'd love to love to chat with you if you want to drop in.

Meet Carlos Vega From The Club

SPEAKER_03 2:58

Amy joined me in welcoming uh Carlos Vega to the microphone from the Hendersonville Boys and Girls Clubs. Good morning, Carlos. Good morning, thank you for having me. Well, thank you for coming. We really, really appreciate it. I I I also do news for WHKP, and I keep getting news stories about the uh boys and girls clubs and all good news stories. Oh, and I I love them because there's not a whole lot of good news lately, but there's always good news coming from the boys and girls clubs. You guys are so active, aren't you?

SPEAKER_02 3:35

We are, and it's just something that I'm super passionate about. I mean, I know what it means to the community. I have I'm the oldest of five that you know, they all went to the club. I went to the club, I went there for twelve years from the time I was six to eighteen. My own daughter goes there, and I see how much it helps everyone.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

That's amazing. Amy, this is second generation now. You went there and now, now what do you do there, Carlos?

SPEAKER_02 4:03

So I'm the chief operating officer at the Boys and Girls Club. I handle all the day-to-day operations.

SPEAKER_03 4:10

Yeah, and uh you you uh you have to be responsible for the bottom line in most of these cases, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I mean, we navigate how we get the kids on the field trips. Uh we provide all kinds of summer field trips completely free of cost of parents and their families. Um we also provide transportation in the school year just to get the kids to the club. From schools to the club and and then getting them home, uh I guess. Well, the parents will come here come to the club to pick them up.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

But ultimately you you guys are well, let's talk about some of the accomplishments uh uh that I've been learning about. Uh kids who uh have excelled at the boys and girls clubs. Tell us about some of the honor kids there.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Yeah, I mean we have we have a national finalist in Felicia Ariaga. Um she was my keystone leader, which is our leadership group for the high schoolers. She's now has her doctorate and is professor in New York. What's wonderful? We have our we have a regional finalist in our youth of the year from last year. She's also in New York um going into politics. We have out of the last state youth of the years, we have 14 out of 20 of them.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

So wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

I'm impressed. Uh I'm impressed. It it's uh how do how do you you you go about uh recruiting boys and girls from area schools? You start young, I would assume.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

Yeah, so they come from all over. Um it's not necessarily a recruitment process as much as um they'll they'll hear about us, right? Um it's a completely free service, so the word gets around fast. Um we provide snack, breakfast, lunch all throughout the school year. Um we're open for flex breaks for the year-round school, so it being free just allows that word of mouth to spread more and more all the time.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

It's really amazing that y'all are able to offer that for free. I think I was talking to you before we started here that not all boys and girls club are completely free. Some of them charge a nominal fee. Have to, I guess. But it says so much about our community that we've been able to, or you guys have been able to raise funds to

Free Meals Rides And Longer Hours

SPEAKER_01 6:35

make that a free service, and it matters so much to kids and to their families.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

Yeah, and you uh you're open obviously before school and after school, right?

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Mm-hmm. So uh during the daytime, so during the summer we'll be open from 7 30 to 5 30, and then in the school year we're open from three to seven. Um we did increase the hours from we used to open at nine o'clock, and so I remember being a kid and we'd wait out in line waiting for those doors to open up so we could rush in. But a lot of parents have to be at at work by eight o'clock.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

I worked in healthcare for a long time, and a lot of the CNAs, the nursing staff, the therapists, they all have to be there before eight o'clock. So being open at nine didn't really help the parents on the front end. So we extended our hours, and that's been amazing. We're having close to 300 kids before we even hit nine o'clock now.

SPEAKER_03 7:32

That's amazing. That is amazing. So you're there for them. Um what's what stands out in your memory, uh, Carlos, from going to the boys and girls club growing

First Flights And Big Field Trips

SPEAKER_03 7:45

up and now in administration there? What's what stands out in your mind?

SPEAKER_02 7:51

I think what stands out in my mind is the opportunities that it's not only created for me, but for the kids that we have. I often say that the first time I went to the movies, the first time I went on an airplane, the first time um I've even gotten some of the improved roles that I've received is through the Boys and Girls Club. I had uh Mr. Arzea, who was a former club kid as well, he's our STEM director. He took a bunch of kids white water rafting last year. And one of the kids uh told him, if it wasn't for the Boys and Girls Club, I probably couldn't have done this. And we I looked at him and I said, you know, and that's what it's about. It's about giving these kids the opportunities we were given growing up. And he all he could do is agree.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

And without the Boys and Girls Club, it wouldn't have happened. There was no Boys and Girls Club way back there when I was a boy. But uh I can just imagine it's uh the the magnetism of kids will flock to your place, they're going rot whitewater rafting over there. Come on.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

What other kinds of field trips do you take them on?

SPEAKER_02 9:04

Uh so we do a mix of um STEM field trips as well. So we take the kids to like the Kids Census uh museum in um Rutherford County, we go to hands-on museum, we take them to the zoo um for the older kids. We'll take them on hikes, we take them swimming, we go to the lake. Um it's uh especially in the summertime, it's a lot of moving pieces. So really hammering home on those field trips to keep them out of the building and give us enough space to make sure we're doing what we need to helps a lot.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Um

Community Support And Facility Growth

SPEAKER_03 9:35

there's been uh a lot of support in this community for the boys and girls club. You you talk about it's free to the kids. Uh we can't do the show without talking about the Fossios. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Tell us how Tom Fosio and his family have contributed to the Boys and Girls Clubs.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

I mean, they're still very active in it. I really they are, they are. We see we see 'em pretty often. I think Sue was just there maybe a few weeks ago. Um, and I I had the honor of uh they were at our celebration dinner, which is our annual fundraiser, um, and I got to thank them. I said, you know, it's it's because of what you guys did, I had the opportunities in life that I've had. Um yeah, they're very active. We get to we get to see them pretty often.

SPEAKER_03 10:24

Well, they uh I think they were uh in on the the ground level of getting it going, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:30

They were, they were. And uh so the original building was just what is now considered our homework club classroom. So in the school year, if kids have homework, we have special designated areas for tutors to help the kids with their homework. Perfect. Um but that was the original building. They later later expanded, creating a gym, and that's kind of where I remember it is in uh when I always say it used to be a gym and two classrooms.

SPEAKER_03 10:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:01

And now we're over a 60,000 square foot facility. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 11:05

Because of uh the FOSIA. Yeah, yeah. Well,

Plans To Serve More Young Kids

SPEAKER_03 11:10

uh, what's ahead? What uh uh you guys are always making plans, I know. Uh what's in the future for the boys and girls classes?

SPEAKER_02 11:17

So we're looking at developing another another addition to the facility. Um hopefully being able to serve more kids here in the community, um, identifying that um there's a big need in like K kindergarten through second grade as well. Um that seems to be very difficult in our area to find childcare. Most even summer programs here in the area are around eighty dollars a week. Whoa. Um so that can add up really quickly.

SPEAKER_03 11:48

320 bucks a month.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Yeah, we had a nine-week summer this year, so yeah, through the math.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Yes. And if they have multiple kids, start multiplying that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:00

Yeah. Amy, uh uh, your husband BJ was well known to us here at WHKP, was principal at Hillendale. No, Bruce Streisand. Bruce Drive for many years. And uh I think I overheard you telling Carlos that he uh referred many children during his tenureship to the boys and girls classes.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

And and really, like Carlos said, it wasn't really as much of a referral as they knew about it. But I'm I could be s saying the wrong thing here. I'm not sure this is totally true, but I'm I believe he had like a couple of busloads that would go every day.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Yeah. And so now Mr. Mr. Joyce is the principal at Bruce Driesdale, and we we still get two busloads of kids. They come in the afternoons because now they're already back in session since they're in year rounds.

SPEAKER_03 12:49

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

And uh I was telling her that Mr. Joyce actually worked at the Boys and Girls Club whenever I was a kid. I was probably about in the second grade. He then worked with me at um Apple Valley Middle School and at North. So he's seen me in very a lot of different phases of my life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

I'm sure he's very proud of you.

Tutoring Volunteers And Club Careers

SPEAKER_03 13:10

Well, uh I I'm sure we got about two and a half minutes left here. Uh I'm sure that uh the boys and girls clubs uh rely a lot on volunteers, and and if there's someone listening, uh I'm sure uh you could get him on the staff.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

Absolutely, absolutely. If there's anyone interested in coming to work at the club, uh we're happy to set you up with our HR director. She's on top of everything, so we can definitely get someone on board. Volunteers, I'm sure, are uh goal. Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

What kind of volunteer positions do you do you have?

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Um a lot of times we'll need support in tutoring. Um while we have um our tutors that we have from Class to Club with a program where we spend we have full-time staff that are half the time in this in the school, and then in the afternoon they come to us and they manage our tutoring area and homework club. So more support in that area is always fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 14:10

Yeah, yeah. Tutors are oh uh my daughter uh received many benefits of a math tutor after school at our dining room table. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

Um well and I think about families. If if the parents are working, they're picking up their kids late, for them to already have their homework done so that the parents can actually just spend some time with them. That's that's such a gift.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

Yeah, yeah.

Contact Info And Weekly Tune-In

SPEAKER_03 14:36

Well, we got a minute left. Amy, uh, remind us of uh the George Real Estate Group where you're located, how to get in touch with you guys.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Um, you can look us up at uh realestatebygreg.com, and if you want to reach the Amy team in particular, you can go to the Amy Team.com. And we are out on Greenville Highway next to uh the Flat Rock Bakery and the Wrinkledeg and Barbecue right there in that little strip.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

All right. Well, join us every Friday morning and Amy. Uh, I think Noah's gonna be back next week, but you come back, you come back with him, okay?

SPEAKER_01 15:11

I might.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

Yeah, and Carlos, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts uh for what you do at the boys and girls clubs. And and uh we here at WHKP are fans, and if we can ever help you guys, please call on us, okay? Awesome. Thank you so much. Join us next Friday morning for another George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero series. The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, North Carolina, near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygreg.com. The George Real Estate Group can be reached at 828-3930134 or stop by their office at 2720 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, North Carolina. Tune in live each week on Thursdays at 1005 a.m. on WHKP 107.7 FM and 1450 A.m. or stream online at WHKP.com or download these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. The George Real Estate Group brings you the WHKP Hometown Hero Series every Friday morning at 8.45.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Maybe the house feels a little too big these days. The stairs a little steeper. The pace of life a little too fast. But what if your next move wasn't about letting go? It was about making space for peace, for freedom, for what matters most. At the George Real Estate Group, we understand that real estate isn't just about the house. It's about transitions, timing, and trust. We've helped thousands of families in Western North Carolina make smart, thoughtful moves. Closer to nature, closer to family, closer to home. So when you're ready to write size, simplify, or start fresh, we'll be here. The George Real Estate Group. Local, trusted, proven. Call us today, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com because your next chapter deserves to feel just right.