Community Policing and Public Safety
with the Boys & Girls Club
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People who use the community room at the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office will soon have the opportunity to enjoy artwork from our Martinsburg Club kids. The public is invited to see the four new murals on Saturday, May 20, as part of the Sheriff Department's Community Day at 510 S. Raleigh Street in Martinsburg.
"Sheriff Harman reached out to the Club in December," said Patty McIntyre, HR and Business Director for the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle. "He wanted the Sheriff's Department to get more involved with the Club, and he thought the artwork would be a great way to promote our mission."
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During March and April, Martinsburg Club Members worked on the murals, which show the following:
- A welcome to the Club
- The Club is the heart of the community;
- Great futures are under construction at the Boys & Girls Club;
- A history of the Club at the Corner of W. John and Queen Street.
The young artists who worked on the four art pieces will be recognized as part of the display.
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Our 2023 Champion for Youth: Charlotte Norris |
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Charlotte Norris has been described as a mentor, leader, nurturer, problem solver, advocate, and cheerleader. She can now add one more description: the 2023 Stefani Pierson Champion for Youth. Norris will be recognized for her contributions to the Eastern Panhandle’s children by the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle at the Stefani Pierson Champion for Youth dinner on May 18 at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg. The event is named after the Boys & Girls Club long-time executive director who passed away in 2015.
“I am so humbled,” said Norris. “The fact that this event is named after Stefani Pierson is so meaningful. I was privileged to work alongside Stefani in the community, and I always respected her work and commitment to young people.”
Norris was a founding member of the Burke Street Promise Neighborhood Initiative and has coordinated efforts to mobilize the community to support the children and families at Burke Street School. Whether she is organizing a Baby and Me playgroup, picking up food for the summer feeding program, or digging in the community garden, Charlotte is always working to improve the community around the school.
“I don’t know anyone who has done more for our kids as a community member than Charlotte has,” said Todd Cutlip, Principal at Burke Street School. “Her contributions for our school and our kids are endless. She is amazing. If you ask her for something, she is always here. Charlotte is the volunteer every principal would love to have.”
Her work extends well beyond the Burke Street School community. Norris has served as the WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition as the Program Director for Families Leading Change, a statewide family engagement initiative, has been a senior staff member with multiple Girl Scout councils, and was instrumental in organizing Relatives as Parents in the Eastern Panhandle. As a volunteer for the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, she has served as the Secretary of the Board of Directors and as the Chair of the Community Investment Committee. Charlotte also serves on the board of the Eastern WV Community Foundation and is a very active member of Destiny Baptist Church.
When asked about her hopes for our community’s young people, Norris said, “We have to focus on our youngest children because the years 0 – 3 are so important. As a community, we need to understand and invest in early child development. Having a ready work force depends on what happens to those babies.”
Tickets for the 2023 Champion for Youth Dinner are $75.00 per person and are now available online by going to events page on the Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle website at Champion for Youth Tickets or by calling 304-263-1832.
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Volunteers Are the Heart of the Club |
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After touring the Boys & Girls Club in Charles Town as a member of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Jefferson Program, Andi Davis was inspired to do more. Andi, who works for Loudoun County Schools, reached out to staff and offered to do STEM activities once a month.
In April, she read a version of the classic story about the Three Little Pigs. After reading the story, she challenged our members to build a strong structure that would withstand attempts to blow it down.
The kids had a great time with the activity and learning principles related to STEM without being in a formal classroom setting or being told they needed to study.
The Boys & Girls Club strives to bring programming to kids who might not have access to it otherwise — ensuring whole new generations are introduced to the possibilities that STEM holds for their future. By providing hands on, project based learning, our kids can explore the different disciplines of STEM while helping to build excellent soft skills in the “four Cs”— collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication.
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Also in April, United Bank employees volunteered their time at the Martinsburg and Jefferson County Clubs doing activities for "Teach a Child to Save" month. They even tied in an activity for Earth Day to talk about a different type of savings.
Our staff always appreciate people who bring new and creative ideas to our kids. Most importantly, the youth we serve are not only learning new things. They are also learning that people in the community care about them, believe in them, and think they are important.
As our staff is busy planning activities for our summer program, we are always open to our community members joining the kids at any of our three clubs to share their time, talents, and interests. To share your volunteer ideas, contact our administrative offices at 304-263-1832, and we will connect you with the appropriate person.
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Behind the Blue Doors:
Meet Our Board President Eric Brown
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The blue door is a symbol that Boys & Girls Clubs across the country use to signify a welcome place for kids to have fun, be safe, and grow into responsible citizens. That blue door doesn't just happen. It takes people behind it to create the magic that happens at the Boys & Girls Club.
For the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle, one of those people is our Board President Eric Brown. Eric, a Defense Sales Manager for Amazon Web Services, joined the board because, "I love everything about living in the Eastern Panhandle and I believe being part of the Boys & Girls Club is a great way to contribute to the community."
Eric says his favorite thing about the Boys & Girls Club is the "chill out room" also known as the "Zen Den."
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This is a space for youth to hang out in when they are stressed or experiencing conflict. It's full of bean bag chairs, pillows, stuffed animals, fidget gadgets, and more.
Eric's dream is to grow the Club with more resources, more volunteers, and more kids, and his one piece of advice to Club members is "curiosity, grit, and generosity are great building blocks for life at any age."
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Summer Program Registration is Now Open! |
A video tutorial is available for those who have not previously registered a child: Video Tutorial.
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Sponsorship Opportunities |
The Boys & Girls Club depends on sponsorships to fill our funding gap. We have numerous sponsorship opportunities that allow businesses to show how much they care about our children's future. Please review and share those opportunities to help us keep smiles on kids faces!
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Replace Amazon Smiles with Round Ups |
With the end of the Amazon Smiles programs, please remember there is another easy way to give to the Boys & Girls Club: round up!
A "Round-Up" is the term to describe the spare change captured by automatically rounding up your transactions to the next dollar when making a purchase with your bank card. Your bank account probably won't even notice the difference - but our club will!
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The Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle relies on donors to help us keep our doors open. |
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Our Mission: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
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