'Extra's Mario Lopez: 'I'm proud of Boys & Girls Club charity work'

Mario Lopez has expressed pride in his work with children's charity The Boys & Girls Club of America.

The actor and Extra host said that the experience had not only exposed him to new things when he was a youth, but has also prepared him for raising his own daughter, Gia.

"I'm proud to say that I'm in their Hall of Fame as an alum and I'm also the Fitness Ambassador. It's meant the world to me because I grew up in the club," Lopez explained in a new interview with Parade.

"When I was growing up, both of my parents worked, so it was a great place to be. It exposed me to wrestling and the arts and it just helped me stay out of trouble because it wasn't exactly the most upscale neighbourhood where I grew up. Now, I'm able to give back and give my time."

Lopez added: "It kept me in the right road when I was a kid. And being blessed with great parents and strong sense of family helped prepare me for fatherhood."

He has said that he and girlfriend Courtney Mazza want more kids. The pair have already begun "practising" to expand their family.