Fun Photo Friday: Future All-Stars

DeAngelo, Stephanie, Jasmine & George are BGCC's Future All-Stars!

With the Indians' home opener only hours away, I thought, why not celebrate the start of the baseball season by honoring our "Future" All-Stars. Whether their dream is to become an architect, pediatrician, college graduate, or a candy-maker, we want to ensure that ALL of our kids receive the tools they need to follow their dreams.

We could always use even more caring adults to help lead the way for our future community leaders. For more information about how you can give back, visit http://www.clevekids.org/index.php/support/volunteer/ or email Sherri Buehl at sbuehl@clevekids.org.

Now, let's PLAY BALL!!!

Do You Have Enough?

Guest Post By: Stephanie Bunsey

This Sunday during his homily, our priest asked, “Do you have enough?”

I began to think back to a story my aunt told me about my Grandma Dorie. My grandma grew up dirt poor in the hills of rural Virginia, back when children were only to speak when spoken to and when girls were second to boys. During especially lean times, my great-grandmother would feed the adults in the house before she’d feed the children. The adults, especially the men-folk, had to be sustained for their hard physical labor.

I imagined being my grandma as a child; smelling biscuits baking from scratch, mashed potatoes warming on the stove top, a roast finishing on the countertop, and knowing that if the grown-ups didn’t finish the meal, then I might be able to have a bite or two of what was left over. The physical pain of hunger couldn’t possibly measure the emotional pain of being denied the basic human need for food.

With that thought, my mind wandered to the kids we serve at the Boys & Girls Clubs. They often don’t have enough. They experience the same childhood hunger in inner-city Cleveland that my grandma suffered all those years ago in rural Virginia.

Meal Distribution at Broadway Club

The difference is that my grandma had nowhere to go to get help; the kids in Cleveland do! They have us! And we have a partnership with The Cleveland Foodbank that ensures that every young person who visits us will get to eat a solid meal that day, no restrictions. We are also sending some kids home with backpacks full of food for the weekend. We are lessening the pain of childhood hunger for these kids.

You know, children can’t help where or when or to whom they are born or control their environments, but we, as adults, can help where or when or whom we help, and we can change the lives of children, provided we have enough.

Do you have enough?

*For more information about volunteering or making a donation, visit www.clevekids.org

New Website Brings a New Look to the Club!

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland has officially launched our new website. Check out www.clevekids.org and take a tour today. Some highlights include:

• Kids Corner-where you can find work produced by Club kids.
• Success Stories-read about our kids that are making a mark on their Clubs and in their communities!
• Learn more about who we are and what we do.
• Find links to all of our social media sites.
• Invest in the future of Cleveland's youth with a tax-deductible gift.
• Find out how you can get involved as a volunteer.
• Check the Calendar to see what exciting events are coming up.
• Sign up for an ENewsletter......and much more!

A special thanks to the Saint Luke's Foundation who made the new website possible with a Make It Stick! grant award.

It Takes A Village...

We have all heard the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child," but have we ever stopped to think about what we mean by "village." In his book, "Come on People," Bill Cosby asks this exact question. Of course we mean the village is everyone in the community, coming together to take care of not only each other, but also our children. But I started to think about Cleveland as the "village," and wondered how many people actually picture the responsibility they bear in this collective village? How many people stop and ask themselves, "what can I do to make my community a better place?"

So many of our communities are plagued by a chronic case of apathy. It is much easier to assume that someone else will take care of it. I am sure we have all thought at one point..."I would love to help others but I am really busy with my own life. Someone else that has more time and is more committed to the cause will take care of it." Or perhaps, even worse, many people don't think about the problems our communities face at all!

I know it can be overwhelming to focus on the plethora of challenges that exist out there. Just looking at the uphill battle we face in Cleveland alone can discourage even the most committed of hearts. Our infrastructure is aging, our schools are struggling to educate our children, and too many of our youth are fighting and dying on the streets. There is hunger, high unemployment, and the list could go on. But we can't forget that there is also hope and progress in our city. Imagine what would happen if everyone in our collective village came together to realize the dream of a better future and tackle these problems.

Many of our fellow villagers are already out there, banding together to build a brighter future. One such collaboration is making strides in serving all of our youth, from the time they are young until they graduate from high school. MyCom: My Commitment, My Community, is a support system funded by The Cleveland Foundation, Saint Luke's Foundation, the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. It exposes our youth to different arts and recreational opportunities, connects them with mentors and critical support services, and provides them with the tools to take a role in leading change within their own communities. It aims to bring together the various agencies and organizations that serve youth so that gaps can be identified and filled, giving our kids the chance they deserve to have healthy and productive childhoods.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland is a proud partner in MyCom. At several of our Clubs, our teens receive leadership training and learn how to address the problems faced by their neighbors and friends. They are learning that they can't wait for someone else to come along and solve your problems; THEY are the village.

For more information about MyCom: My Commitment, My Community, check out this informative brochure.

Why Afterschool Programs Matter

When many people think about education, they immediately think about kids sitting in a classroom with a teacher, raising their hands to answer questions, and taking tests. But learning does not have to stop when the dismissal bell rings...nor should it. This is especially true for our inner-city youth.

I am sure we all remember getting home from school, happy to be free from the confines of the classroom, only to find mom or dad directing you to your bedroom to finish your homework. No playing and no watching television until all of the homework is completed and checked. As a child, this was probably frustrating. However, now as an adult, we can all thank our parents for placing such a high value on education.

Now imagine a different reality. You come home from school to find your mother either not home or busy watching television. Perhaps she came in late last night from partying with her friends. She doesn't make you do your homework. She probably doesn't even ask if you have any. You are free to hang out with your friends and play video games. You are likely not going to do the homework on your own because you struggle with reading and don't quite understand what the teacher wants from you. You are already performing below grade level, and will likely just drop out once you reach high school because it is more lucrative to make money on the streets. There you can see an immediate return on your investment. If you make it to your 18th birthday without being arrested, it will be a miracle. Friends will die from violence around you, and every day you will be exposed to substance abuse, as you have been since before you could comprehend your surroundings.

This bleak scenario does not have to be the reality of all of our inner-city children. Studies have shown that structured afterschool programs with caring adults can dramatically alter a child's future. Boys & Girls Clubs around America are truly a beacon of light and opportunity for poor children in rural and urban communities. They partner with a variety of organizations to offer the highest quality programs that research has shown to be effective at increasing achievement levels and building confidence.

One such collaboration with the Department of Education has resulted in 21st Century Community Learning Centers in many Clubs nationwide, including our school sites at Charles Eliot and Walton. Part of the "No Child Left Behind" act, the 21st Century program is the only federal funding source dedicated to afterschool programming, and is specifically geared towards students attending high-poverty, low-performing schools. Designed to complement the academic programs in schools, 21st Century provides services such as drug and violence prevention, counseling, art and music, and programs in technology, recreation, education, and character development. Performance studies have shown that youth who go to a 21st Century Center on a regular basis improve their reading and math scores by an average of 43% and 49%, respectively. This gives kids who need it most the extra instruction, one-on-one attention, and guidance to become successful students, and ultimately, productive citizens.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland is proud to provide opportunities to extend the learning day through our 21st Century sites, as well as our traditional Club locations. Through programs like Power Hour, Project LEARN, and our arts and recreational programming, we are showing kids that learning and fun go hand in hand. Won't you join us? Volunteer to change a child's life today and help ensure that our inner-city kids have every opportunity to succeed!

For more information about volunteering visit www.clevekids.org.
For more information about the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, visit http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/.