"We've been using all of our resources," said Kim Morgan, a member of the Encanto branch's advisory board.

Boys & Girls Club officials are relying heavily on volunteers and donations to complete about $513,000 worth of work. They are stretching the $191,000 in county, city and private funds by seeking discounts on materials and labor.

The low-cost approach means the project may take a while.

"It won't run on a tight deadline," said Laura Smith, who oversees the club.

"I just hope I don't retire before it's finished," joked Sara Yarbrough, who has been the club's secretary for three decades.

The Encanto branch, at 6785 Imperial Ave., is one of four Boys & Girls Clubs being renovated as part of a capital improvement campaign. The other branches are in Clairemont, Linda Vista and Logan Heights.

The branch developed a list of needed improvements based on the building's condition and recommendations from club members, Smith said. The branch then searched for funding, volunteers and donations.

The projects include building a new entryway closer to the parking lot, landscaping, painting the building's interior and expanding the kitchen. There had been plans to build a teen center separate from the building, but that proved to be too costly, Smith said.

Construction began in June on new offices and the future entryway with the demolition of the technology lab, Smith said. The work was halted until more donations came in. Work should resume in two weeks.

In her 30 years at the club as its secretary and girls program director, Yarbrough has watched as children grew into adults and the building became a community hub.

The Encanto branch was once a grocery store, Smith said. In 1972, the Boys & Girls Club moved into the building, which was built in 1958.

Over the years, a gym and education center were added, Smith said. The last major overhaul to the 14,556-square-foot facility was three years ago, when the carpets were replaced.

Today, the club has 700 children registered. On average, about 100 children show up each day. The club is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It opens at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

During the summer and when school is out, the club opens at 7 a.m.

On a recent day, children began arriving before the club opened. Most just lingered outside, constantly looking through the glass door.

"Miss Sara, what time is it?" asked a girl, 10 minutes before the door opened.

"Not yet," Yarbrough answered with a smile. The girl is a regular, she said.

Yarbrough knows a lot about the children who show up each day, and she even dreams about them sometimes. She knows the troublemakers and the ones who just like to be around her or need help with homework.

"A lot of kids just come down and hang in the lobby," she said. "I don't mind. I talk to them. They keep me going."

The children return to visit long after their days at the Boys & Girls Club have passed, Yarbrough said. Sometimes their parents stop by with updates about their children.

For Yarbrough, those are the sweetest moments of her job - to see the children become successes.

"I got some good memories," she said, her eyes tearing up.

Jacque Jones, the former Minnesota Twins outfielder who signed with the Chicago Cubs in December, stopped by last summer to say hello, Yarbrough said. He frequented the club as a youngster.

"The day he walked in that door my heart just melted," Yarbrough said. "I was so proud of him."

Such memories keep Yarbrough coming to work every day. She turned 55 earlier this month but isn't sure when she'll retire.

Smith said she's optimistic that the work will be done by June. She also said she couldn't imagine the Boys & Girls Club without Yarbrough.

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