FAST FIVE Hanging' at the Boys and Girls Club with Natasha Malgren

Meet Natasha Malgren, a mother of four amazing children who grew up in Moscow, Idaho. Her family moved to Post Falls in 2020. She enjoys spending her spare time with family, whether they are at a park, swimming, camping, playing board games or just watching a family movie. Natasha is the director of the Post Falls Boys and Girls Club.

1) What drew you to work at the Boys and Girls Club, and how did you get involved?

When I moved to Post Falls from Moscow, I was looking for a safe place for my children to go, where they could make friends and have somewhere they could belong. I would come to pick my children up and they would ask me to stay longer, and I loved that my children had somewhere to call a second home. I ended up getting involved because there was an opening in the teen center for a youth development professional. I was drawn to Boys and Girls Club because I wanted to be the person I needed when growing up. I wanted to be someone for kids who would never give up on them and never stop caring. I wanted to provide a safe place for them to be after school and on non-school days. I wanted to be able to help parents know that their kids are safe and cared about when they are out providing for them.

2) How does the Boys and Girls Club make a difference in our community?

Our clubs are committed to serving the needs of youth, ages 6 (and enrolled in the first grade) to 18, during the critical hours when they are out of school and away from parental supervision. The clubs give children what they need most: a safe environment where they can have fun and be themselves, adult role models who respect and listen to them and interesting, constructive educational and recreational activities that channel youthful energy into challenging and productive pursuits.

Our vision is to provide a world-class club experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who comes through our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship and living healthy lifestyles.

3) What are a few aspects about your job you love the most, and what are a couple challenges?

What I love about my job most is the ability to help the community and make a difference in the lives of the youth. The relationships I have been able to form with the kiddos who attend club is amazing. I have a bulletin board in my office that is full of drawings and things that members have given me and it warms my heart. A couple of challenges that go with my job are when members grow up, get jobs and stop attending, it is always very bittersweet, because I am so proud of the kids, but it is also hard to not see them every day. Another challenge is when it is time for members of my team to go on to the next chapter of their lives.

4) What's something people would be surprised to know about you?

I write poetry. I started out writing poetry in high school as a way to cope with the loss of a close friend. I actually have many journals of poetry sitting in a box in my garage.

5) What were some of your favorite things to do as a kid, and do you ever get to revisit that carefree version of yourself?

I loved hanging out in the woods with my siblings when we were all little. When I was in first grade we lived in this house in Ohio that was surrounded by the woods. My siblings and I would spend all day out there when we could. That would definitely be my favorite childhood memory. I am still very fortunate to get to revisit that memory often, by going camping with my siblings, or even just doing weekend get-togethers.