The Morgan County Club has embraced the concept that you don't have to look further than your own backyard to have an adventure.
During the Summer Program, every Wednesday is dedicated to getting to know the town of Berkeley Springs. On "Walk About Wednesdays," the kids visit local businesses to share a lunch or a story. In June, the kids went to the Star Theater for movie and a popcorn, to the library to explore the resources and reading materials, and Berkeley Springs State Park to swim and play. Other walk about stops this summer will involve participating in an ice cream social, stories from trail depot, and financial lessons with CNB Bank, during which kids will be given play money to buy their lunches and engage in math/banking games.
Our kids are only able to participate in these activities thanks to the generosity and welcoming atmosphere of the local businesses and community.
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President Harry S. Truman once said, "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." The Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle is sharing that message with our kids by launching our "Leaders Are Readers" program this summer. The idea came from Justin Clark, who has been running "Leaders Are Readers" at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Charleston.
Each week, leaders in the community, such as Jefferson County Board of Education member Kathy Skinner, Martinsburg City Council Member Kimberly Nelson, retired Ranson Elementary School Principal Debra Corbett, and our board president Eric Brown are coming to the club to share their favorite books with our kids.
Not only are they sharing the joy of reading, but they are helping develop the minds of our future community leaders!
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Education and career programming is one of the core focus areas of the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle, and the learning doesn't stop during the summer months. While our staff works diligently to help prevent summer learning loss, they also find ways to make education fun.
This summer, our kids have already participated in numerous STEM activities. The Jefferson County kids learned about chemistry and chemical reactions by doing the elephant toothpaste experiment. Horse-powered reading participants strategized ways to prevent an egg from breaking when it is dropped from a height, and Berkeley and Morgan County youth have been building structures from every day materials and exploring the world around them.
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Many adults in the workplace have participated in a lunch and learn activity during which a speaker joins employees to talk about something meaningful and useful. The Boys & Girls Club has put a spin on that traditional lunch and learn concept this summer by providing an opportunity for people with interesting jobs to talk with our kids while they eat lunch.
Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon even helped serve lunch!
For all the people who ask how they can volunteer, we always love having you come meet with the kids while you talk about your job, your hobbies, or even places you have travelled! We always welcome guest speakers at lunch during the summer or in the afternoon during our afterschool programs. If you are interested, contact Trina Bartlett at tbartlett@bgcepwv.org or 304-263-1832. |
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Behind the Blue Doors:
Meet Our Staff
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Anyone who has been involved with the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle during the past two decades probably knows Amber Glennon. But did you know that she was once a Club Kid?
Amber was born and lived in Southern California where she began her Boys & Girls Club experience during elementary school. When she moved to Berkeley County in 1992, she became a member of the Martinsburg/Berkeley County Club.
Amber said, "The Boys & Girls Clubs provided a place of belonging and friendship when I was young. Now it does the same thing for my two boys."
Amber is a graduate of Hedgesville High School. She attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and completed her Bachelors’ Degree in Biochemistry at Shepherd University. She began working with the Martinsburg/Berkeley County Club in 2004 as a member of the Summer Program Staff.
Amber has held multiple positions in the Club since that time and is the current Director of Grants and Operations for the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle. In addition to her administrative duties, She can often be found in one of the clubs cooking, problem solving, helping with staff development, and, of course, engaging with the kids.
She lives in Martinsburg with her husband, two sons, two dogs and a cat.
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Good Food Means Good Moods |
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During the summer program, our kids get snacks and lunch ever day. That means staff is responsible for putting together a menu that meets specific requirements and standards, shopping and/or picking up food, and preparing meals. So, when local restaurants donate lunch for our kids, we are always very appreciative, and the kids always enjoy the treat.
In June, Panda Express and Pizza City were among our generous donors. The Panda Express team members even spent time getting to know the kids!
Any restaurant in Berkeley, Jefferson or Morgan counties that is interested in donating lunch can contact Patty McIntyre at pmcintyre@bgcepwv.org or 304-263-1832. |
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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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Round Up For the Boys & Girls Club |
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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