Getting to Know Our Community |
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In July, we profiled how the Morgan County Club was discovering their community on "Walk About Wednesdays," during which the kids visited local businesses. This summer, the older youth at the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Club have also been exploring their community and learning about potential careers and community resources.
They attended a training on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) provided by our board member Dr. Chiquita Howard-Bostic at the Martinsburg Police Department and toured the Berkeley County Judicial Annex, where they met with our board member, retired Judge David Greenberg along with current Family Court Judge Rich Stephens.
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Our kids also had the opportunity to tour the campus of Shepherd University this summer to learn about the programs it offers as well as what attending college might be like.
The goal of the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle is for all young people who attend the club to graduate from high school on time and be prepared for a post-secondary education or career. While the staff provide all of the support, guidance, and resources they can, they only have so much influence. When members of our community take time to teach, share, and get to know our kids, they are also helping build the next generation of engaged and productive citizens.
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Community members often contact the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle to ask about volunteer opportunities at the Club. Staff is always happy when that occurs, but they might get even more excited when someone suggests a volunteer opportunity for our kids. Since character and leadership development is one of our five focus areas, we always welcome opportunities for our Club members to give back to others. It also addresses our focus area of health and life skills as volunteering has been shown to increase self confidence, combat depression, and stay physically healthy.
This summer our kids had a couple of great opportunities for community service. They helped make blankets for the Eastern Panhandle Chapter of Project Linus, which provides handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. (To learn more about Project Linus go to: Project Linus.) After working with the Club kids on blankets, Chapter Coordinator Agnes Ratliff said "The kids were very attentive as they were given instructions. They asked questions to learn how to make the blankets correctly. While making these blankets they worked in teams, switch off assignments, helping each other to finish seven blankets. They asked about the children that would be receiving these blankets. Please let your staff and children know we were honored to work with them today."
Also this summer, Nicole Taggert, the Service Coordinator at Senior Towers, contacted the Boys & Girls Club to ask if the kids would be able to spend some time with residents there. A few kids walked there from the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Club to put together puzzles. Nicole reported "Your kids were so good! It was a joy meeting them and their instructors. They would like to return for bingo!"
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Behind the Blue Doors:
Meet Our Board Member
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Dr. Gail Shade from Berkeley Springs has had a long-standing commitment to the Boys & Girls Club, but her history with the Club doesn't prevent her from thinking about it's future.
"I would love to see the clubs in all three counties be overflowing with kids who will benefit from all of the programs that are provided," she said.
Dr. Shade, who is a therapist, said her her favorite thing about the Boys & Girls Club is the way the kids respond to the staff and volunteers. "Seeing kids develop strong relationships with caring adults within the walls of the clubs makes me proud of the programs that are provided."
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Shade sees her role as a board member is to make sure the Club is meeting the needs of all of our youth. She said it has been a wonderful experience to work with the other board members over the years and to see the commitment so many have made to ensure that all of our clubs stay open and are available to youth who want to be part of the Club family.
The one piece of advice that she gives Club members is "Always remember that the club is a safe place where you can get love and support when you need it. Our leaders are there because they want you to be successful in all areas of your life. Remember you are making memories!"
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Healthy Food and Happy Kids |
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Feeding kids nutritious snacks and meals every day is an important strategy for ensuring our kids are getting healthy food, but it also helps keep them happy and engaged. Because of that, the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle is grateful for local businesses, farmers, and gardeners who ensured we had fresh fruits and vegetables all summer. There was also the added bonus of exposing our kids to something new. One girl had never eaten a fresh peach and didn't even know what it was. She referred to it as "a fuzzy apple." Additionally, our Jefferson County kids learned a new skill: shucking corn.
We love seeing our kids eat the unprocessed food that our neighbors grew!
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Our kids had a lot of fun and several adventures this summer, but as the season winds down, the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle will being saying goodbye to many of our staff, who are headed to college this fall. Because of that, we are looking to hire new Youth Development Professionals as we begin planning for the upcoming school year.
Additionally, if you know a parent or guardian who is looking for a great afterschool youth development program, let them know about the Boys & Girls Club and keep your eye on our website for registration information. |
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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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