Summer Newsletter
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
Every day, great futures are growing inside our Club doors. Whether it’s through learning a new skill, like painting or sign language, or taking on a new challenge, like teens mentoring our younger Members, our Club Members are growing and building their futures.
Being a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County imeans being a part of a larger movement, one that inspires our youth to BE GREAT! Which is why I am thrilled to now serve at the helm of this organization as Executive Director. As a team member and leader for the past five years, I’ve seen first-hand the impact we can all have on the lives of our community’s youth.
With your investment of time, talent, and treasure, we are able to make a difference together. For that, we thank you. Your impact is felt every day through the programs we are able to continue offering as well as through the elevation of our team’s development:our [MG1] board of directors has grown, our Greatest Kids Celebration was its most successful ever, and teen program continues to expand! These are just a few of the highlights you’ll find throughout our newsletter.
With gratitude,
Kristen Strom
Every day, great futures are growing inside our Club doors. Whether it’s through learning a new skill, like painting or sign language, or taking on a new challenge, like teens mentoring our younger Members, our Club Members are growing and building their futures.
Being a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County imeans being a part of a larger movement, one that inspires our youth to BE GREAT! Which is why I am thrilled to now serve at the helm of this organization as Executive Director. As a team member and leader for the past five years, I’ve seen first-hand the impact we can all have on the lives of our community’s youth.
With your investment of time, talent, and treasure, we are able to make a difference together. For that, we thank you. Your impact is felt every day through the programs we are able to continue offering as well as through the elevation of our team’s development:our [MG1] board of directors has grown, our Greatest Kids Celebration was its most successful ever, and teen program continues to expand! These are just a few of the highlights you’ll find throughout our newsletter.
With gratitude,
Kristen Strom
Say it with Sign
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Have you ever seen the National Anthem performed before a sporting event? How about signed? Here at the Boys & Girls Clubs we’re doing both singing and signing as a part of programs at our O.C. Carmichael site and Wilson Primary Center site.
For the last two years, Club Members have had the opportunity to participate in the Sign Language choir at Wilson Primary Center. The choir’s director, Ms. Nelson, practices with Members bi-weekly and teaches them popular songs like "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. |
The Wilson choir has 12 Club Members ages 9-12. They made their first public appearance at the Team Blue Basketball Tournament Fundraiser for the Greatest Kids Initiative, performing the National Anthem before the game. After weeks of practicing, the choir performed “Hero” at the Greatest Kids Celebration, Where Heroes Meet, this April for a crowd of over 400 people!
A Night of Heroes
This year’s 6th annual Greatest Kid’s Celebration was one of the best yet! The theme “Where Heroes Meet” reminded us of the power and strength our youth have to rise above one’s circumstances and affect heroic change in their lives, Club, and community. As a community, together we raised over $400,000 to support the great futures of our youth in St. Joseph County.
That night, seven exceptional Club Members were honored for their demonstration of family commitment, intellect, service, and dedication. With over 500 members of the community in attendance, we celebrated the heroic acts of our Youth of the Year and Junior Youth of the Year candidates and their mentors, the Great Big Kids. One of these youth was selected as the Youth of the Year to contend for the National Youth of the Year title and the mentor with the most votes was crowned the Greatest Big Kid.
That night, seven exceptional Club Members were honored for their demonstration of family commitment, intellect, service, and dedication. With over 500 members of the community in attendance, we celebrated the heroic acts of our Youth of the Year and Junior Youth of the Year candidates and their mentors, the Great Big Kids. One of these youth was selected as the Youth of the Year to contend for the National Youth of the Year title and the mentor with the most votes was crowned the Greatest Big Kid.
Youth of the Year Winner!
Kind, humble, and with a big heart, Yvonne accepted the award as the 2016 Youth of the Year on April 29th. Accompanied by her mentor, Jeanne Skelton, owner of Inspire Me Boutique, Yvonne shared her experience on what the Boys & Girls Clubs meant to her to the large crowd attending the Greatest Kids Celebration hosted at the Gillespie Center.
Yvonne says that at age 9, her life “drastically changed for the better.” That was when her mother signed her and her sister up for the Boys & Girls Clubs summer program. Those at the Club who know Yvonne would describe her as a kind young woman for whom helping others is a part of her nature.
Five years later, at the Club, Yvonne volunteers with Science Immersions, teaching younger Club Members how to apply science to build simple machines with Legos, and she is a part of SMART Girls, which teaches girls to live healthy lifestyles and make safe decisions. At home, she’s an integral part of her family and she assists her grandmother, who has lost much of her agency, with daily tasks such as getting out of bed, with taking her medication and walking.
When Yvonne grows up, she would like to become a nurse and make taking care of the well being of others as a part of her life’s mission. But as we all witnessed through her speech and in her daily life, Yvonne has already embodied that goal and inspires us to do the same!
Kind, humble, and with a big heart, Yvonne accepted the award as the 2016 Youth of the Year on April 29th. Accompanied by her mentor, Jeanne Skelton, owner of Inspire Me Boutique, Yvonne shared her experience on what the Boys & Girls Clubs meant to her to the large crowd attending the Greatest Kids Celebration hosted at the Gillespie Center.
Yvonne says that at age 9, her life “drastically changed for the better.” That was when her mother signed her and her sister up for the Boys & Girls Clubs summer program. Those at the Club who know Yvonne would describe her as a kind young woman for whom helping others is a part of her nature.
Five years later, at the Club, Yvonne volunteers with Science Immersions, teaching younger Club Members how to apply science to build simple machines with Legos, and she is a part of SMART Girls, which teaches girls to live healthy lifestyles and make safe decisions. At home, she’s an integral part of her family and she assists her grandmother, who has lost much of her agency, with daily tasks such as getting out of bed, with taking her medication and walking.
When Yvonne grows up, she would like to become a nurse and make taking care of the well being of others as a part of her life’s mission. But as we all witnessed through her speech and in her daily life, Yvonne has already embodied that goal and inspires us to do the same!
Greatest Big Kid Winner!
For Tim Leman, being a Great Big Kid was a lesson in courage. Accepting the challenge of becoming an advocate for the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County as a part of the Greatest Kids Initiative not only meant helping to raise funds for the Club, but also become a mentor and friend to a Junior Youth of the Year candidate.
It was through this challenge of building relationships that Tim ate his first Mexican tacos de lengua, or tongue tacos, and, in exchange, Tim and his family introduced Miguel to downhill skiing.Tim and Team Blue together raised a record amount of $114,723 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County. Team Blue reached their goal through the generosity and support of over 200 individuals and companies supporting the BGCSJC mission and their commitment!
Tim’s commitment has long been felt at the Clubs, as he is the immediate past chair and has served on the board for many years.
For Tim Leman, being a Great Big Kid was a lesson in courage. Accepting the challenge of becoming an advocate for the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County as a part of the Greatest Kids Initiative not only meant helping to raise funds for the Club, but also become a mentor and friend to a Junior Youth of the Year candidate.
It was through this challenge of building relationships that Tim ate his first Mexican tacos de lengua, or tongue tacos, and, in exchange, Tim and his family introduced Miguel to downhill skiing.Tim and Team Blue together raised a record amount of $114,723 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County. Team Blue reached their goal through the generosity and support of over 200 individuals and companies supporting the BGCSJC mission and their commitment!
Tim’s commitment has long been felt at the Clubs, as he is the immediate past chair and has served on the board for many years.
Ready to Ride!
With some help from our friends at the South Bend Police and Fire Department and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, twenty Club Members from Harrison Primary Center received bikes and helmets donated from Goodwill and the Bike Michiana Coalition. Before the Clubs Members mounted their new bikes for a stroll around the gym, Officer James Burns gave a lesson on bike safety and the rules of the road. Mayor Pete shared his experience of riding his own bike growing up in South Bend and how it encouraged him to be active and take pride in his neighborhood.
Once the Club Members were ready to ride Mayor Pete, Executive Director Kristen Strom, Officer Burns, Branch Manager Lety Verduzco, and other volunteers helped Members strap on their new helmets. All the kids had a chance to take their new bikes on a spin around the gym. Be on the look-out South Bend, the BGC bike-riders are rolling through town this summer!
With some help from our friends at the South Bend Police and Fire Department and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, twenty Club Members from Harrison Primary Center received bikes and helmets donated from Goodwill and the Bike Michiana Coalition. Before the Clubs Members mounted their new bikes for a stroll around the gym, Officer James Burns gave a lesson on bike safety and the rules of the road. Mayor Pete shared his experience of riding his own bike growing up in South Bend and how it encouraged him to be active and take pride in his neighborhood.
Once the Club Members were ready to ride Mayor Pete, Executive Director Kristen Strom, Officer Burns, Branch Manager Lety Verduzco, and other volunteers helped Members strap on their new helmets. All the kids had a chance to take their new bikes on a spin around the gym. Be on the look-out South Bend, the BGC bike-riders are rolling through town this summer!
Girls on the Run is so Much Fun!
Meet Adriana! A fourth grade student at Wilson Primary Center, Adriana enjoys reading and cooking with her mom, and she has even learned to crack and egg on her own! Since February of this year, Adriana has been preparing to run the 5K with Girls on the Run. Besides learning how to run, the Girls on the Run program has fostered conversations about many of the issues most immanent to third and fourth grade Club Members.
Adriana and her peers have talked about inner beauty, how to respond to negative feelings, why gossip is harmful, the influence of media on their lives, and more, all while fostering true joy.
The Wilson Girls on the Run group brainstormed service projects for our community and dedicated a day towards making cards for elderly in a nursing home. Along with these conversations and this project, the girls learned to push themselves in a healthy way towards a challenging-yet-attainable goal: completing a 5K run/walk. After running and walking her practice 5K, Adriana proudly commented that “it was hard, and I didn’t think I’d finish, but I did it!”
Molly, one of our volunteer coaches, shares that “many of these girls come from challenging backgrounds. Seeing them put into words and action the qualities and habits that are at the heart of the Club’s mission has been encouraging. I mean, these girls are truly capable of showing the world just how amazing they genuinely are.”
On Saturday, May 21, Adriana and her peers completed the Girls on the Run 5K, a celebration of setting and reaching goals, learning first hand that every individual has it within his or her power to BE GREAT!
Adriana and her peers have talked about inner beauty, how to respond to negative feelings, why gossip is harmful, the influence of media on their lives, and more, all while fostering true joy.
The Wilson Girls on the Run group brainstormed service projects for our community and dedicated a day towards making cards for elderly in a nursing home. Along with these conversations and this project, the girls learned to push themselves in a healthy way towards a challenging-yet-attainable goal: completing a 5K run/walk. After running and walking her practice 5K, Adriana proudly commented that “it was hard, and I didn’t think I’d finish, but I did it!”
Molly, one of our volunteer coaches, shares that “many of these girls come from challenging backgrounds. Seeing them put into words and action the qualities and habits that are at the heart of the Club’s mission has been encouraging. I mean, these girls are truly capable of showing the world just how amazing they genuinely are.”
On Saturday, May 21, Adriana and her peers completed the Girls on the Run 5K, a celebration of setting and reaching goals, learning first hand that every individual has it within his or her power to BE GREAT!
