KENNEWICK, Wash. — Teens around Benton and Franklin Counties have more access to programs that encourage mental health and wellness. This follows a $10,000 donation from Bechtel National, Inc. to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.
These programs focus on self-esteem, self-expression, peer pressure, relationships, body image and other challenges youth face in their daily lives.
Bechtel is a national engineering company that focuses local energy on the Hanford Vitrification Plant in Richland.
This money is going to programs to help teens build healthy coping skills.
“Overall wellness has become even more critical for our youth to build a healthy and productive life. Mental health is especially important for them to thrive in school and in relationships,” wrote Valerie McCain, Bechtel senior vice president and project director at the Hanford Vitrification Plant. “We appreciate the Clubs’ commitment to youth success and are proud to partner with them,”
Brian Ace said the Clubs and Bechtel have had a long-lasting relationship that extends past what one might think.
“You would normally think Bechtel would make an investment in something like STEM programming. But they see the value of the whole person, and so they’re there to invest in our kids right where they’re at. And we’ve seen a huge increase in the challenges that our young people face even before COVID, and then after COVID as well,” said Brian Ace, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.
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