Being community-minded comes fairly easily for Bill Legge. He’s the executive director of the boys and girls club, and more recently, the owner of the local coffee shop, Grab A Java.
“The boys and girls club is a chaotic place, but it’s chaotic in a good way. So no two days are the same, we’ve got upwards of 100-150 kids running around the facility of all different age groups and backgrounds. and with that comes what I like to call beautiful chaos,” Legge said.
This chaos provides opportunities for the kids that can be life-changing.
“We are primarily focused on after school programs and summer camp programs. we have our main unit which is right at the intersection of 15th and monroe street and that building has been around since 1961. A lot of folks think it’s an old school but it’s not it was built to be the boys club. Back in the late 90s we expanded our programs and started to partner with the local school district," Legge said.
"So now not only are we in our traditional unit but we are also in eight other schools throughout the district. Seven of which are part of district 186 then we are also in st pat's catholic school. those programs we run just like our main unit.,” Legge said.
He’s been the executive director of the boys and girls club for about seven years, but even with that responsibility he and his wife, vickie, took over the ownership of a beloved local business.
“Grab A Java the two locations. It’s a coffee shop here in town. It was started back in 1996 by a couple of wonderful people megan and pete lazare and we had an opportunity last october to purchase the business from meg and pete which we did and we really enjoy it. My wife and I work day jobs so we’re not at the coffee shops making coffee in the morning but we have a wonderful staff that does an excellent job and then a lot of our evenings and weekends are spent doing the backend stuff ,” Legge said.
Regardless of their busy schedules, Bill and Vicki find time to support each other in all of their endeavors and work as a team to run Grab A Java.
“My wife and I are truly partners I truly hit the wife lottery she is fantastic and she is wonderfully supportive. She has been my true partner through all of this. She has been very supportive of the work ive done at the boys and girls club but also been very supportive and helpful with grab a java. A lot of times well split duties if i've got too many things going she might take care of other things,” Legge said.
He sees his role in owning grab a java as a different connection to the community then the boys and girls club, but a connection nevertheless that brings people together.
“My life is one happy accident after another I have been very fortunate in this lifetime the boys and girls club and my work there is the most fulfilling work I have ever done in my entire life and I honestly believe this will be the first sentence of my obituary,” Legge said.
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