Kirra White was a picture of concentration on a recent afternoon as she put finishing touches on her art project.

The 9-year-old girl tuned out the rising decibel level in the room as other children drew with crayons and wielded felt-tip markers with abandon to make their own creations. When finished, White smiled and held up her plastic spoon artwork for everyone to see.

In another room, the air was filled with the sound of cracking billiard balls as older kids showed their pool cue prowess. It was tense competition, judging from their expressions.

That was just part of the scene at the REACH building on Southwest Glacier Place during a holiday afternoon. The new nonprofit — Redmond Experience Activity Connection Hub — officially ended its affiliation with Boys and Girls Club of America late last year.

There’s more than a name change involved. Executive Director Jenny O’Keefe said she and board members plan to expand opportunities for children from kindergarten through 18 years of age.

“The life experiences we are creating are interactive with the community,” she said. “We are taking kids into the community with volunteers and teaching them how to take part. We are preparing these kids for work.”

That doesn’t mean REACH has abandoned its roots. There’s still an Early Bird program from 6:30 to 9 a.m., including breakfast and transportation to school. And the After School program remains strong with pickup from school, a snack and opportunities to play games, do crafts or take part in educational activities until 6 p.m.

However, O’Keefe believes more is needed to engage local children. Good recreation programs exist in Redmond, she said, but there aren’t enough of them. That’s why REACH sponsors such things as ice skating outings, sledding and swimming. Other recent activities included a trip to Bend to see a movie and visit an arcade as well as observing the downtown art walk.

Children learn compassion by putting together survival kits for the homeless and volunteering at Brightside Animal Shelter. O’Keefe’s vision extends to bringing in local professionals to describe their jobs, including a recently planned visit by a member of the Redmond Police Department.

She said Redmond schools do a great job of educating students academically, but they don’t have time to emphasize some real world skills. O’Keefe added that local employers have expressed frustration over a lack of local job seekers who dress properly, are on time and understand the basics of being a good employee.

“We want to be that lab” to teach non-academic skills, she said. The new mission statement says REACH is dedicated to “creating connections for youth to thrive in our community through meaningful fun real-world experiences.”

One possibility is to run a small business to give kids insight into being entrepreneurs.

O’Keefe wants REACH to be a haven for youngsters who might otherwise be isolated — perhaps because they’re not interested in school athletics or whose parents both work and aren’t home enough. She said children who are socially engaged “will recognize their value and want to give back.”

The nonprofit owns two buildings at Glacier Place and leases a small office elsewhere. O’Keefe is one of two administrators, with a total of 16 staff members. Five are full-time workers and 11 are part-time.

Jose Villarreal, the activities specialist, has been with REACH for eight months.

“I like getting to teach them things, and being with them after school,” he said. “They’re fun.”

Tenille Halderman, 14, has seen the organization from three perspectives. She became a member in fourth-grade and was a volunteer, also before the name change. Now she’s a teen staff member who works 11 hours each week.

The high school freshman enjoys the work, saying, “I like that we’re helping kids. I want to be some kind of doctor to work with kids.”

REACH has boosted its daily attendance steadily over the past couple of years. It grew from 91 children daily in 2014 to 124 in 2015 and 183 at the end of 2016. Of that number, 86 percent are ages 5 to 12 while the rest are 13 to 18. The organization has about 30 members at Lynch school, which creates more space in the main building. A smaller building next-door houses programs for teens.

Despite growing numbers, O’Keefe said fundraising remains a constant concern. It costs $2,000 each day to open the doors and run the program. Staff members support the operation with more than their work — each donates 5 percent to 25 percent of every paycheck back to the organization.

A possible strategy, O’Keefe said, is to ask employers of parents with children at REACH to give a small amount of financial help. Employers benefit because their workers have a safe place for their children to be during work hours, she emphasized.

Some good news arrived the last week of December 2016: REACH accomplished a goal set July 1 to raise $80,000 by New Year’s Day. That money will pay for operations through the first quarter of 2017.

O’Keefe, 45, has a good business background to guide the operation. Raised in Portland, her father and grandfather owned a distributing business that did import/export business internationally. She began working for the company at age 15 and adopted a strong work ethic.

“I learned a lot there under the safe protection of family,” O’Keefe said.

She has a bachelor of science degree in human development from Warner Pacific College and a master’s degree from Oregon State University in adult education, counseling and human development. She said studying counseling taught her how to work effectively with people.

The transition away from Boys and Girls Club of America began a year ago. O’Keefe said some of the national club’s mandates aren’t realistic for a town like Redmond, especially with a plethora of nonprofits here.

Also, the national model focuses heavily on after-school activities. O’Keefe wants strong morning sessions with breakfast and for REACH to be open during the summer and when school is closed. With the addition of even more programs, she hopes finances will improve and help keep costs low for after-school kids. The ultimate goal is to make after-school free of charge.

REACH transports children to and from school on two school buses. One was purchased from Redmond School District and the district donated the other.

O’Keefe credits consulting help from Octant of Bend for rebranding the organization, calling their staff valuable collaborators and friends.

“We’re making this change knowing it won’t make everything perfect,” O’Keefe said. “But it will lead us to self-sufficiency.”

For those who want to help financially, the REACH website at www.reachredmond.org has details. It notes that a $100 contribution pays for 30 children to go on a community service field trip and a $500 donation feeds 50 children a healthy breakfast each school day for a month.

REACH is currently looking to expand its staff. It is advertising for a program manager to work 20 to 25 hours a week, and volunteers are always welcome.

O’Keefe sees this as a turning point, with REACH fulfilling needs that have been expressed by community members.

“This work matters to me,” she said. “We are not just a daycare. We are something different with a new mission.”