It should no longer come as a surprise to us when we hear of one community service group coming to the aid of another.

Another recent example is how members of the Franklin Sportsman’s Association have stepped up and offered the Franklin Unit of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Virginia a place to host its summer programs.

The Boys & Girls Club meets at S.P. Morton Elementary School during the school year and expected to use the building during the summer break.

However, the school is undergoing some construction this summer, and was deemed a potential safety hazard for the youths who participate in the programs.

In walked the Sportsman’s Association to volunteer its help.

“I brought the idea back to the group and the membership discussed it,” said Anthony King, who serves on the Boys & Girls Club of Franklin Unit Board and is a Sportsman’s Association member. “We voted overwhelmingly to donate the building for the summer program.”

“If it wasn’t for them, there wouldn’t be a place for these kids to go,” said unit director Alyson Slavin.

That cooperation has produced other, perhaps unforeseen, benefits.

“I’ve been asked to give some of the boys some advice and I’ve made a good connection with them,” said member Roy Hunter, who is in charge of maintaining the association’s building.

Normally, the association promotes sports and helps give back to the community. It sponsors little league baseball each summer, providing uniforms and equipment for the youth.

This summer, the association has added to its impressive resume as a place for kids to go, and a place for those same kids to get additional help and guidance. It seems like a winning combination.