New London — Without a permanent home or a leader, the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut is nearing the end of a two-decade run serving the youth in the region.

It was a confluence of events that led to a recent decision by the group’s board of directors to end any further attempts to salvage a program this year, board President Beth Hogan said. Without a program, the group will lose its affiliation with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“The stars never aligned for us. It’s not for lack of trying,” Hogan said. “We made a decision. It was a painful decision.”

The nonprofit group got its start in Groton in 1998 as a way to stem gang violence and provide youths with mentors, tutors and structured skill-building activities.

For the past 10 years the Boys & Girls Club had occupied the first floor of one of the now-vacant Thames River Apartments buildings. In addition to providing a safe place to gather for a vulnerable population, the group was running after-school educational programs and outings and offering things like a STEM mentoring program for up to 100 youths at the high-rises. The group also ran a smaller program at Winthrop Square Apartments.

Worsening living conditions at the federally subsidized Thames River Apartments led the New London Housing Authority to relocate all of the residents out of the high-rises.

Catherine Foley, who last month resigned as chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club for personal reasons, had feverishly worked to secure an arrangement with the New London school district and build a new program at C.B. Jennings Dual Language and International Elementary Magnet School.

Things were looking hopeful until Jennings Principal Jose Ortiz resigned and the district’s attention focused on a transition between school superintendents. The agreement never came to fruition.

Hogan said that without an arrangement in place, the Boys & Girls Club board was forced to halt operations. The lack of programming ultimately will lead to the loss of affiliation with the national Boys & Girls Clubs organization, which contributes a portion of the local club’s roughly $250,000 annual budget.

The national group requires a minimum of 100 youth members and a place open to children four hours a day, five days a week for a minimum of 10 months a year.

Foley, who is the former executive director of Covenant Shelter New London and director of the New London Development Corp.'s Community Development Initiative, is credited with helping to shore up finances for the group after she took over in 2015. She said she only ever wanted to be a volunteer but then became CEO because of the need and her desire to help the group thrive.

In addition to support from the national organization, the group’s budget is funded through a mix of grants and private donations.

Whether the group is resurrected sometime in the future remains an open question. Hogan said the board has not yet voted to dissolve itself and in fact has plans for the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut “to go out on a high note.”

The group will continue with its ambitious plans for a Sept. 28 fundraiser at Mitchell College and has reduced the price of tickets from $50 to $35. Proceeds from the event, along with about $60,000 in the organization’s coffers, will be distributed to worthy youth-focused New London programs.

The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut will act as the fiduciary, and an announcement on the distribution of funds will come later.

Both Hogan and Foley agree the organization has been an invaluable resource for local children and parents alike.

“I think it was a wonderful program that helped the kids of New London build confidence, close any learning and achievement gaps and provided a very supportive environment,” Hogan said. “There was a positive energy at Thames River.”

Programs through the years also have been run at various schools in Groton, most recently at Claude Chester Elementary School.

Through a mix of paid staff and volunteers, the Boys & Girls Club had offered a safe place for youth to learn and just have fun, Foley said. Many of the children served at Thames River Apartments came from single-parent homes and otherwise might not have had such opportunities.

Foley said early education is key in the development of children, and the group’s focus was on academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles.

“It’s breaking my heart,” Foley said. “There were benefits to the community as much as there were for the children.”

The Harvest Moon Gala will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Red Barn at Mitchell College. Tracee Reiser, the retired associate dean of community partnerships at Connecticut College, will be honored with the Great Futures Award. There will be refreshments, a silent auction, raffles and music from the Franklin Brothers Band.

Additional information can be found at bit.ly/BnGClub, by calling (860) 574-9040 or emailing GreatFutures@bgcsect.org.

g.smith@theday.com