Fun Photo Friday: Jumping Across Borders

Teddy bear, teddy bear turn all around.

Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground.

Teddy bear, teddy bear show your shoes.

Teddy bear, teddy bear how old are you?

1, 2, 3,…!!

Remember sitting outside on the front porch with your friends on a warm summer day eating ice-cream?  Nobody wanted to play tag or hide and go seek any more, so you all did the next best thing: jump rope. Even as the years roll by and fashions, fads, and technology change, jump rope has still found a way to stay active in the lives of both children and adults throughout the world.

On Tuesday, our kids from the Broadway Club received a chance to meet a group of young professional jump rope team members from Tanzania and Kenya. These very special visitors are a part of a non- profit organization called One World One Rope. This organization is a global instructional jump rope program that has started jump rope teams all over the world. Our club members’ cultural awareness increased as they discovered and talked about the differences and similarities between our guests and themselves. They also learned a lot of new jump rope tricks as well. These are some pictures of our members interacting with One World One Rope team members.

We would like to thank One World One Rope for taking time out their busy schedule to come and jump rope across the border with our kids.

Rays of Sunshine

Anyone from the Cleveland area would definitely agree that when it rains here, it pours suddenly, harshly, and nonstop. On rainy days, most people scurry to find a warm and dry shelter to protect them from the cats and dogs falling from the sky outside. Most people. At the Boys and Girls Club on Broadway, we got the unique opportunity to witness nineteen awesome men and women from various Office Max stores in the Cleveland area who not only volunteered hours of their time to come and help us clean rooms around the club, but they also planted new flowers throughout our gardens in the pouring rain. Their benevolence and hard work is evident all throughout our club.



Front yard garden



This group of Office Max volunteers was all business from the time they arrived at 9 am. They started the morning off by cleaning bleachers in our gym and picking up the trash in between all the seats. The volunteers then tackled various storage rooms where they cleaned out old supplies, re-organized shelves, and even moved some items we had to a new storage room. Next, they proceeded to move outdoors where they split into teams and planted flowers in our numerous flower gardens and around our field. There was only one small problem: a huge rain storm was raging outside. However, this did not stop these courageous men and women from completing their task. Despite our numerous efforts to get them to come inside, they went on planting as if it was any other regular day. It rained for at least an hour and half and not once did any of these volunteers come inside other than for a drink of water or more tools. They did not complain nor did they obtain negative attitudes.  We were all simply in awe at the focus, efficiency, and dedication that these men and women possessed throughout their time at the club. However, the most amazing part about the whole experience was that they did all this before lunch time.



Backyard garden



            Around 12:30pm, the Office Max volunteers finally took a break and went on lunch. However, their day was only half over. After all of the hard work that they did during the morning, this fearsome group decided to volunteer even more of their time by engaging in “interactive time” with the children from the club. They played ping pong and basketball, read, talked and spend hours just hanging out around the club with the children.  By the time the Office Max volunteers left that day, they had volunteered over 100 hours of their time to the club.

            The kindness and selflessness that the Office Max workers showed towards the Broadway Boys and Girls Club is priceless. From working in the rain to hanging with the children, this special group of volunteers went over and beyond all that was asked of them. Both the children and the staff really appreciated and enjoyed the positive energy and liveliness that the volunteers displayed the entire time that they were here. They are truly an amazing group of individuals and we are very grateful for all that they did for us.

Fun Photo Friday: I'M LOVIN' IT!

“I’m Lovin’ It.”
We have all heard this slogan countless times as we watched McDonald’s commercials, saw their billboards, or heard their ad on the radio. Yet for the children and staff at the Broadway club, this slogan takes on a whole new meaning.  Ronald McDonald House Charities graciously provided the Broadway club with new tables at which they can eat. Although to some people having a table to eat at may not be a big deal, to the children and staff at the Broadway club it makes a world of difference.

Before receiving the new tables, mealtimes were hectic. The children would have to eat in whatever space that they found around the club. Sometimes this meant eating in the gym on the bleachers, on the floor, or standing up. Other times, children would walk around the club to find available rooms or spaces. The children never got a chance to eat together in one area.  However because of the support of Ronald McDonald House Charities, children can now have a real dinner time where they can sit and socialize with their friends in one central location. The tables allow the children to get a community feel as the share a meal together. The addition of the tables not only benefits the children at the club, but it lifts a burden off the staff as well.  With all the children and food in one place, staff can better maintain a clean and sanitary food area. They can better sustain a clean club because they no longer have to worry about children roaming all over the club eating their meals. However, Ronald McDonald House Charities provided more than just tables for the children and staff at the clubs. They provided an opportunity for a stronger community bond, friendship, and most of all a unity amongst the club during mealtimes. The children and staff at the Broadway club are simply…lovin’ it.

 Thank you, Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Headed in the Right Direction

Guest Blog By: Debra O'Neal
2011 Cleveland Foundation Intern

To most people the word “public housing” is synonymous with crime, violence, and poverty.  People envision single mothers with multiple children, no jobs and living off of welfare. However while some of those claims may have truth to them, most people fail to see how public housing can also play a positive role in the lives of the children who live there. As a child who grew up in public housing, I can definitely say that the lessons and experiences I took from there played a major part in shaping my character and helping me to achieve the many accomplishments that I have.

Though I lived in low income housing all my life, I didn’t realize that I was “poor” until I was in high school.  I never felt "poor” or felt that I was lacking in any area. My parents always had jobs, and even though I did not receive EVERYTHING I wanted, neither my siblings nor I ever went without the things we needed. We never had the latest gadgets or the newest fads, but we were content with what we did have, and compared to some of our friends we were very well off. Though we may have been financially poor, the love of my parents, family, and friends made us spiritually and emotionally rich. I am blessed to have such a good family, and despite others’ beliefs, I feel blessed to had been raised in public housing. From an outsider’s perspective, it may have seemed that the neighborhoods in which I was raised in were terrible, but it was because of those neighborhoods that I am who I am today.

My neighborhood that I grew up in consisted of eight six-bedroom low income apartments. These apartments were exclusively meant for parents who had more that six children under their care. So even though there were only a few families there, more than seventy people lived in this area alone. There were always a lot of kids around for every age group, so our summers were always filled with a lot of fun and excitement. Though some of us went to summer camps or daycare, we still found ways to create new games or activities to fill our time when we were at home. One summer, after the housing authority built a basketball court in our back yard, we started a summer league in which we even convinced a local church to donate to us some pennies. Another time, we decided to throw our mothers a surprise Mother’s Day program complete with snacks, dance routines, and music.  One year, we even started a step team in which we competed against other teams and almost won. These are the memories I hold of public housing, not those negative generalizations that people are so quick to assume.

Why we certainly had our share of fights and pain, we also had an abundance of good memories and positive experiences. It is because of growing up in public housing that I learned to value the importance of family, hard work, and perseverance, and most of all, community. I found out at an early age that nobody expected us to be successful or respected us. Therefore in order to achieve anything, I needed to work twice as hard in school, at work, and especially in staying out of trouble in our neighborhoods.  I understood early to make the best of what I had and that no matter how bad something may seem at the time, it never lasts forever. Living in public housing taught me a lot of things, but the biggest lesson it showed me was that since I already started at the bottom, the only direction that I could go was up.

Fun Photo Friday: What Could Be Cuter?

Carina and Cassiopeia

What could be cuter than two baby Lemurs? I am not sure, but I can tell you what is better than seeing an adorable picture of the two newcomers to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo....seeing them in person!

Why not bring along the whole family on June 25th and get to the Zoo early for our Race for Kids & Wellness Festival. Animals are always most active early in the morning, so you will have the unique opportunity of seeing the Zoo's many lively animals before the park opens to the public. And in the meantime, you will be getting a healthy start to your Saturday!

Race for Kids & Wellness Festival begins at 7:30am on June 25th at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. All proceeds benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland...meaning it will be fun and charitable all at the same time!

Races include a 5k run and 1 mile walk/fun and there is a family registration rate for the 1 mile! And the best part...besides the baby Lemurs, of course... DISCOUNTED ZOO ADMISSION IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR REGISTRATION FEE!

Register today on our Race for Kids page!

Challenge Day Challenged Me

Cleveland Metropolitan School District recently wrapped up what has become an annual program called "Challenge Day." It is a day of activities designed to build a sense of community among a group of students. Volunteers were invited to participate as adult facilitators, leading group discussions and ice-breaking games. This was my first year volunteering, and what a day it turned out to be!

The day began with everyone seeming a little nervous. These days are known to be emotionally charged events where the tissues end up vastly outnumbering the people. As the day progressed, though, you could feel the tension ease up in the room and everyone started getting a lot more comfortable with the process.

As a volunteer, I was given four students to form a family group. I can't say enough about how lucky I was to get the four young people assigned to me. They were open, honest, and ready with hugs whenever either a fellow student or I needed one. During "If You Really Knew Me," we all shed tears as we listened to our family members share painful details about their hardships and struggles. It was such a wonderful chance to bond with people who, only hours before, had been complete strangers. I was not only heartbroken to hear what these four teenagers had been through, but inspired by their sense of determination and perseverance. I don't know that I could have survived much of what they were going through.

The most moving part of the day came with the exercise called "Cross the Line," which you may have seen in the movie "Freedom Writers." Everyone was asked to stand on a line and then cross to the opposite line when something applied to their life. For instance, we were asked to cross the line if we were a child of divorce, or if we had a friend or loved one killed by violence, etc. What I found most revealing was how much I actually had in common with many of the kids. Having grown up with two parents in a military family, I never thought I would have much in common with a group of predominantly inner-city kids; but there I was crossing the line time after time.

Of course like the others in the room, it was sometimes difficult to face the realities of what it meant to cross the line. But there was truly a feeling that we were all in this together. After crossing the line we would put our arms around a young person that had done the same, letting them know that they are not alone in their struggles. Afterward, when we met back in our small family groups to discuss the exercise, one of my kids said he felt so much better when he would look down the line and see some of his friends were there too. He never realized that he had a group of people who could understand what he was going through and be there for him. What a powerful moment...knowing you are in fact not ALONE.

I really cannot say enough about the impact that the day had on me, and the impact I hope it had on the kids that participated. If CMSD is able to bring Challenge Days back next year, I would encourage everyone to take a day off from work and become a volunteer. I can guarantee it will be an eye-opening experience that you will never forget. And more importantly, it will show our youth that they are truly not alone.    

Where Have Our Role Models Gone?

Sally Ride

I was talking with a friend lately and the subject of role models came up. This person asked me who my role models were, and believe it or not, I had a hard time answering that question. I remember a time when I had role models that I could easily name if the question arose. As a five-year-old, I watched the Challenger shuttle launch and almost immediately blow-up. It was perhaps one of my first real childhood memories. I remember crying when I saw the pictures of the astronauts who had lost their lives. On that day I set the goal to be the first female Commander of a shuttle flight, and proceeded to learn everything I could about being an astronaut. One of the people I learned about was the first American female in space, Sally Ride, who became my role model. Of course, before I even finished by BA, a woman had commanded and piloted the shuttle, and by that time my interests had shifted. Nonetheless, having a strong role model as I was growing up and making plans for my future was very important to me.

So here I am an adult, and I have realized that I don't really "look up" to anyone anymore. Why is it that when we become adults we are not as interested in looking up to others? Shouldn't that be the time when we are more interested in following in the footsteps of those great individuals that have gone before us because by that point we are more self-aware and our dreams are more concrete? Likewise, how are we to ever become our "ideal" self if we never think about who we might emulate?

During the 2010 Youth of the Year competition, I became close to our winner, Dajah, and we have remained in almost daily contact for over a year. I know that she looks up to me and that I provide guidance and a strong example for her. She has told me on many occasions that she does not know how she would have gotten through the first year of college without me. She tells her friends all the things she has learned from me and it makes me feel great knowing that I am providing her with the tools she needs to become her "ideal" self.

If we, as adults, are to become role models for the younger generations, I think it is imperative that we give thought to our quest for own self-improvement. We should seek out those individuals that can teach us something about ourselves, and perhaps show us a better way. Otherwise, how can we be sure that we are showing our youth a better path?