The new Wakeman Boys & Girls Club's Madison Avenue location in Bridgeport opened its door this week.

The facility will provide programs focusing on sports, academics and leadership training to kids ages 3 to 18.

The Southwest Community Health Center will also have medical facilities to serve the entire community.

Many students, like Genevieve Joseph, say the club has helped them stay in school and focus on their future.

Joseph says the club and its community have been like a second family to her.

"There was a lot of crime and a lot of things happening around me and having Wakeman was like my safe space," says Joseph.

Wakeman CEO Sabrina Smeltz says Joseph is an example of how the club can have a positive impact on young lives.

"To find themselves, to use their voice, to be advocates for their own communities & then to also give back. So that our youth have an opportunity to be the best person they can be," says Smeltz.