Panda Cares and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County to
Unveil Third Panda Cares Center of Hope At Fort Worth Panther Club
Texas’ Oldest Club Location Gets Renovated Space for Youth Mentoring and Education
What: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County (BGCGTC) will cut the ribbon on its third Panda Cares Center of Hope, a space created to provide the resources and support students need to develop academic and life skills for a brighter future. The $45,000 renovation at BGCGTC’s Panther branch in Fort Worth was funded by the Panda Cares Foundation, a BGCGTC partner since 2019. The newly renovated space within BGCGTC’s oldest branch will provide a designated place for mentoring, education, and critical social-emotional development for Club members.
When/Where: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
4 to 5:30 p.m. with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County Panther Branch
1500 Hemphill St., Fort Worth, TX 76104
Why: Panda Cares Center of Hope offers a refreshed space with new furnishings and a fresh paint job—and a place where youth can access affordable, high-quality after-school programs with trusted and caring mentors. Sound-reducing wall and ceiling panels ensure that members have a designated quiet space to work on homework or decompress from the school day. New flexible seating also creates a more comfortable learning environment where Club members can work on their homework and collaborate with their peers. Each Center of Hope practices Project Learn, a holistic strategy to support youth-centered learning in Clubs. The strategy reinforces and enhances what young people learn during the school day through homework support and high yield learning activities.
About the Panther Branch: BGCGTC Panther branch is the oldest Boys & Girls Club in Texas, established in 1926. The building has dedicated space for education, social recreation, art, teens, dining, kitchen, gym, a full-size pool with locker rooms, attic storage, playground, and office space for additional programs. Portions of the building are historically protected. A repository of historic documents about this branch’s history is kept at the City of Fort Worth Library.
About Panda Cares: Established in 1999, Panda Cares is the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group. Each Panda Cares Center of Hope serves thousands of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County members, ages 6 to 18, during after school and summer programming.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County (BGCGTC) is a nonprofit organization with a history that traces back to 1926. BGCGTC offers programming and services to youth ages 6 to 24 throughout Tarrant and Denton counties. As the oldest and largest Club in Texas, it serves over 76,300 young people each year, at nine traditional branches and three school sites and through four mobile teams, providing low-cost or free resources and a safe and welcoming environment where children and teens are respected and valued. Program areas include after school and summer activities, workforce development, pre-college support, gang intervention efforts, a music and youth initiative, and alcohol and drug use prevention. The organization’s mission is to deliver a world-class Club experience by providing a positive environment, supportive relationships, and opportunities to nurture academic success, character, and leadership.
