|
|
|
|
Februrary 2019
When school is out, the Clubs are in!
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- February Report Highlights Your Impact on Club Members
- Maleah Rada Wins 2019 Youth of the Year Competition
- Society of Angels Volunteers Forge Lasting Relationships with Kids
- Snapshots: A Day in the Life of a Club Kid
- National Fine Arts Competition Celebrates Young Artists
- Local Business Community Supports the Boys & Girls Clubs
|
|
Derrick is our Club member of the month! He's a reserved 14-year-old with a smooth jump shot and a cheerful
|
Maleah Rada Wins 2019 Youth of the Year
We are overjoyed to announce that Vero Beach High School freshman Maleah Rada is the 2019 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County.
Maleah is a passionate young lady who cherishes her family and understands the importance of education. However, this wasn't always the case.
During the first four years of her life, Maleah didn't have a father and seemed to be headed down a dark path. Fortunately that all changed when she met Lawrence, one of the staff members at her daycare.
"I loved him like he was my dad," Maleah said. "He was my father figure and I always wanted to play with him."
Lawrence eventually became friends with Maleah's mom. Before long, the friendship blossomed into something more, and he proposed to her.
"That is something that is a core memory in my life," Maleah said. "That's when I got my official dad."
 |
|
|
Executive Director Elizabeth Thomason and
2019 Youth of the Year Maleah Rada |
Maleah has gone on to become an accomplished and motivated student. She made the AB Honor Roll and, believe it or not, she is usually in bed by 8:30 p.m. to make sure she is ready for the school day.
Maleah is taking full advantage of the Boys & Girls Clubs' Destinations program to get to where she wants to be in life. She meets with Ms. Laura, our Career Counselor nearly every week to help plan for her future. She also is participating in resume-writing workshops, college tours, and college-prep activities that the Club offers.
"I plan to attend Indian River State College after I graduate high school and then attend a university to study marine biology," she said. "I've always loved being around the water and seeing what is in it," she said.
Outside of academics, Maleah is a soprano in the Freshman Preforming Chorus at Vero Beach High School. She also participates in the theatre program and is practicing for her upcoming role in "Mary Poppins."
Maleah's love for musical theatre began at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County.
"Two years ago, I sang onstage at the BGC Angels Dinner," Maleah said. "People came up to me afterwards and told me I had a beautiful voice. I was surprised and said to myself, 'I have to figure out how to use this.' I've been singing ever since. That's how I express my emotions," she said.
Maleah credits her mother, father and little brother Shawn for helping her realize her full potential inside and outside of the classroom. She said that participating in
the Youth of the Year program at the Boys & Girls Club has given her confidence and inspired her to become an outspoken advocate for her peers.
"My advice to young people today is to try everything," she said. "You'll never know what you want to do in life unless you try a bunch of things and see what works for you," she said.
Check out the pictures below from our 2019 Youth of the Year Awards Dinner, held at the Indian River State College Richardson Center on January 31st!
|
|
| Maleah stands with her peers and staff from the Vero Beach Club. As you can see, other children and dedicated volunteers also were recognized for their achievements! |
|
|
| Sebastian Club Director Jim Russo and Program Director Allie Martinez present the Junior Youth of the Year Award to Kaitlynn! |
|
|
| The Fellsmere staff recognize the accomplishments of their Club members! |
|
|
Society of Angels volunteer Chris Talbot receives an award for her outstanding
efforts as a Society of Angels volunteer. |
|
|
| Barbeque from Wilke's 14 Bones? Yes please! |
|
Society of Angels Volunteers Forge Lasting Relationships with Kids
Trudie Rainone has been a volunteer at the Boys & Girls Clubs for seven years. She comes back again and again for one simple reason: The Club members love to learn.
"They just absorb everything," Trudie said. "It's so fun to see how the children respond to us teaching them."
Trudie is a member of our Society of Angels, a growing group of volunteers. They facilitate several unique programs for the children, including Book Club, Career Prep, and Etiquette, which is Trudie's "bread and butter."
Every month, she and her team bring in food for the children and teach them how to set the table and be respectful while eating.
Once the kids have their manners down pat, Trudie and her team engage the children in dinner-table conversation. After just two sessions, the kids have opened up to the volunteers, eagerly swapping stories with them about siblings, sports, school, and family life. Before long, it's time to go home.
"The children leave with big smiles, full stomachs, and most importantly, lessons that will serve them their whole lives," she said.
We hope you enjoy the pictures below from our Society of Angels Programs:
If you'd like to volunteer at the Boys & Girls Clubs, please call Phil at 772-299-7449 or send him an email at [email protected]. Opportunities are available for tutoring, book clubs, athletics, and more!
|
|
| Our Etiquette teachers often give the children food to take home to their families! |
|
|
Society of Angels Member Carole Taylor teaches a Club member how to
properly cut food with a fork and knife. |
|
|
| Susie Kintner helps teen Club member Jaylen polish his resume! |
|
|
| The Society of Angels Teen Talk program helps our teens learn the skills they need to secure meaningful jobs! |
|
|
| Nancy Keeler, a new volunteer this year, helps a Club member with her online math homework! |
|
|
| Society of Angels volunteer Betty Higginbotham tutors a group of girls in the education room. |
|
|
Snapshots: A Day in the Life of a Club Kid
Day in and day out, we provide a structured schedule for kids that incorporates Boys & Girls Clubs of America's "Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development."
These Elements are:
1. A safe, positive environment
2. Fun
3. Supportive relationships
4. Opportunities and expectations
5. Recognition
To illustrate, join us as we follow the Club members around after-school!
Once the kids arrive at the Club by school-bus, they have a healthy snack and then head to the education room. Here, they finish their homework in a quiet environment. Staff and tutors are on hand to help when needed.
After homework is done, it's time for some fun! Children go to the Game Room to play foosball, ping-pong, Legos, billiards and other games with friends.
Now, it's time for the tech lab. Here is where members learn how to type and use photo-editing programs. They also participate in NetSmartz, a Boys & Girls Clubs of America program that teaches Internet safety.
The art room is up next! Club members channel their creativity through painting, sculpture, colored pencil drawings, printmaking and much more.
A dedicated group of Club members participate in our Jake Owen Players music program. Zenaiya learned how to play piano last fall and now she's moving onto the guitar. She had never played an instrument before coming to the Boys & Girls Club. Now, she knows how to read sheet music!
After sitting at a desk all day, it's time to get moving! The Boys & Girls Clubs provide exercise opportunities for every kid, athlete or not. We have fitness competitions and sports leagues, including basketball, tennis, flag football, soccer, swimming, and track and field. We are also going to be offering a rowing program soon, so stay tuned!
You may have noticed that we've been talking a lot about the younger Club members...but what about the teens? Don't worry, we didn't forget about them! They're off-campus touring Florida International University and learning all about college life. When they return, they'll meet one-on-one with our Career Counselor, Ms. Laura. She will help them set targeted goals to graduate high school on time and attend college, a trade school or join the military.
Ultimately, we want to see our teens obtain meaningful careers so they may provide for their families and the community.
Every program we do at the Boys & Girls Clubs is just one piece of the greater puzzle to help our kids lead positive, productive lives!
Come see the Boys & Girls Clubs for yourself! Sign up for a tour by calling Executive Director Elizabeth Thomason at 772-299-7449 or emailing her at [email protected]. You'll be glad you did!
|
National Fine Arts Competition
Highlights Club Members' Creativity
Art is a valuable outlet for kids to express themselves, and our Club members have been creating tons of it lately! More than 100 pieces of art were entered our National Fine Arts Competition this year.
Coffee mugs, snail sculptures, colorful landscapes, and flower stamps were just a few of the many entries. The winning pieces were selected by our panel of judges and were put on display at the Sebastian Club during our annual Art Exhibit on January 11th. Families enjoyed light refreshments and were impressed at the Club members' artistic talent!
Please enjoy the photos below:
|
|
| The Judges had a tough time choosing the winners! Here, judges Lindsay Candler, Sherry Ann Dayton, and Jessica Schmitt select the winning piece for the mixed media category. |
|
|
| Winning pieces were put on display during our Art Exhibit at the Sebastian Club. |
|
|
| The clay snails made by the Fellsmere Club members were super cute and colorful! |
|
|
| Parents came out to the exhibit to support their kids and encourage them to pursue their creative endeavors. |
|
|
| Jazmine presents her two winning pieces with her father, Rodney. "I'm an artist myself," Rodney said. "To see my daughter doing this kind of stuff is really something special," he said. |
|
Local Businesses Champion
the
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County
When you support the Boys & Girls Clubs, you are joining a close-knit community that is dedicated to helping our children thrive. Our remarkable individual donors are the driving force behind what we do everyday. But local businesses and organizations are also key supporters of our mission.
Here are a few examples of how the business community is helping the Boys & Girls Clubs this month:
Lowe's Home Improvement: Lowe's recently wrapped up its Buildin
g A Great Future Campaign, collecting donations at the register and educating customers about the Boys & Girls Clubs!
Realtor's Association of Indian River County: RAIRC helped our Club members dress for success by hosting a School Uniform Drive from January 7th to February 8th. Our kids and parents cannot thank you enough!
Ross Dress for Less: Ross has been a valued partner for years. During the month of February, the store at 6190 20th Street is once again inviting its customers to donate at the register to help provide funds for our programs.
Sunrunners Vero Beach: If you're a runner, then tighten up
those laces and make sure to check out the 41st Annual 10k run & 10k relay, being held on Sunday, Febr
uary 24th at South Beach Park in V
ero Beach. For the first time , proceeds will ben
efit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County!
SunShine Coin Laundry: 25% of all proceeds from one was
her and one dryer will be donated to our Clubs from January throu
gh March. Stop by either of SunShine Coin Laundry's two locations at 485 21st Street (Miracle Mile) and 1405 16th Street (by the high school) and
check it out!
Unity Center of Vero Beach: We recently received proceeds from the Second Annual Vero Vin
o Wi
ne and Food Festival. We are very appreciative to Unity for hosting this wonderful event and choosing to donate proce
e
ds to our Clubs!
Winn-Dixie:
During the months of February and March, each time a reusable Community Bag is purchased at the Winn-Dixie located at 995 Sebastian Boulevard in Sebastian, $1 will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County.
And...Coming Soon!
Dale Sorensen Real Estate: For the third year in a row, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County will be the beneficiary of the Vero Beach Easter Parade, hosted by Dale Sorensen Real Estate. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting event!
Thank you to our Local Businesses and Organizations
for Your Support!
|
The Chairman's Circle: An Opportunity to Invest Deeply
in the Lives of Children Who Need Us Most
Members of the Chairman's Circle are dedicated to ensuring our children grow up to be productive, responsible and caring citizens.
They give a cumulative $5,000 a year, and t
heir
support allows the Boys & Girls Clubs to continue offering high-quality programs and caring staff for the kids who need us most.
Click the video link below to see what the Chairman's Circle is all about. If you have any questions, please call Phil at 772-299-7449.
|
|
|
|
|
Vero Beach
Club members in kindergarten and first grade made love letters for their parents on Valentine's Day!
"The children really enjoyed the activity," said staff member Ms. Sharon. "It became a valuable opportunity for them to reflect on why they are thankful for their parents and families," she said.
|
The Club members in Fellsmere received brand new bikes thanks to a donation from Den Turcotte with the Treasure Coast Art Life Community Bike Program.
Here, the kids are ready to ride with Mr. Larry Mulder, a dedicated volunteer and avid cyclist.
Mr. Mulder's name may sound familiar, as he is helping to build a new Clubhouse in Fellsmere with a $1 million pledge! Demolition for the new Club will happen in February with site prep in March.
|
Sebastian
January 28th marked an impressive milestone for Olivia, our Sebastian Club Youth of the Year. I
t was her 10-year anniversary as a Club member!
To celebrate, the staff held a party, and Olivia's mother brought in cake for the entire Club!
In addition, all the kids signed a poster to congratulate Olivia for her accomplishments over the years.
|
|
Donate
Join the Chairman's Circle, a new group specially recognizing donors who invest a cumulative $5,000 or more in the Clubs each year.
Join the President's Circle,
our core group of donors who invest a cumulative $1,000 or more in the Clubs each year.
Become a Business Booster or Partner
, and showcase your business while helping the kids. Donation levels start at an affordable $100.
Provide a scholarship for a child in need
to attend our after-school or summer program. No child is turned away for an inability to pay.
Donate supplies.
|
Attend
Participate in our awesome events! Save the Date:
March 6th - 18th Annual Angels Dinner
April 5th - Bridge Tournament
Amateur, Pro Am, and Nine-Hole Golf Tournaments - November 2019. Check back for more information!
|
Volunteer
We are always seeking tutors, mentors, reading coaches, and caring adults to spend time in one of our three Clubs.
Need more information?
Email or call Phil at 772-299-7449.
|
|
We appreciate your support!
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1729 17th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL 32960 I 772-299-7449
|
|
|
|
