BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WARWICK
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Mission Statement
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick is a nonprofit organization working to help youth of all background, with a special concern for those who need us most, develop the qualities to become responsible citizens and leaders. The Clubs 2 branches, located in high-poverty areas, are a safe, dependable refuge for youth that is also fun and supportive. For children with few options, we offer a safe, supportive and life-changing alternative to risky behavior. The BGCW imparts the importance of giving back to the community through volunteerism. In addition to focusing on character and leadership, the Club also provides education and career programs, health and life skills, arts programs, sports, fitness, recreation and more. The Club presently serves more than 1,400 annually.
About This Cause
For more than 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick (BGCW) has been known for its life changing impact on the youth it serves. Located in the highest poverty areas of Rhode Island’s second largest city, the Club provides a welcoming and reliable place for kids to spend time that may otherwise be wasted or lost to the dangers of the streets. BGCW programming is based on a Youth Development Strategy that is primarily preventive in nature because studies reveal this is the most effective strategy for “at risk” youth. Our programs give Kent County youngsters opportunities many would otherwise never have the chance to experience. Often forgotten because they do not live in the inner-city, many children and teens here reside in homes of struggling working families. They are in urgent need of out-of-school-time supervision, support and a safe haven overseen by caring adults. The BGCW is here to help all. All of our programs are designed to meet the ideals set out by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s “Core Programs.” They help kids get through life today, so they have the chance for a great tomorrow. • Character and Leadership Development empowers youth to support and influence the Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships, develop a positive self-image, participate in the democratic process and respect their own and others’ cultural identities. Participants organize community service projects such as park beautifications, mentor younger children and more. In an exciting new project our teens are working with developmentally disabled residents of West Bay Residential to create a community garden. Teens are also learning basic business skills as they run the club’s snack machine operation that is being serviced by the West Bay residents. • Education and Career Development enables youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations and embrace technology to achieve success in a career. The installation of new computers at our Norwood branch will soon enable us to help many more members acquire skills necessary to thrive in today’s digital world. Through personalized and engaging experiential learning, youth will develop keyboarding speed and accuracy, learn basic software skills, networking, movie production, robotics, game design, and discover ways to acquire information from researching their personal interests – from building a bench to creating an app; the sky’s the limit! Our summer camp Counselors in Training Program provides on the job training and experience in the field of human services in a positive, fun environment. • Health and Life Skills develops young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults. Growing their own food at the Oakland Beach Greenhouse and planning and preparing healthy meals are just a couple of examples. • The Arts enables youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing. A local artist teaches art history and guides children in sculpting and painting. By creating their own music videos, kids learn the arts, literacy and technology. Sports, Fitness, and Recreation develops fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment and social skills. Basketball leagues are extremely popular and are a constructive alternative to the dangers of the streets. Through fun, physical activities, our programs encourage kids to be healthy and fight obesity. Any child can attend our Club, but the vast majority are from the Kent County area and specifically – Warwick. According to Rhode Island Kids Count, Warwick has the 7th largest number of children in poverty in the state. Our two Clubs are located strategically in the community’s poorest sections, Oakland Beach and Norwood. These branches provide important support to a segment of society that is too often overlooked; the struggling, working poor and lower middle class – people on the fringe outside of the urban core. The youth who live in these families frequently need a safe place to go when school is out. They need a positive, structured and supportive environment, yet there are few before school safety nets readily available. For many, our Club is the consistent center of their lives. As the city’s largest and only full-time dedicated youth facility, BGCW annually serves 1,300 members ranging in age from 5 to 18 years old. Of the children we serve, 45% qualify for free/reduced lunch and 30% live in single parent families. Our doors are open to all area youth, and for those families who cannot afford the low cost of $30 annually, fees are waived. The Club was incorporated in 1963 with the first branch opening in 1968. A success from the day it opened, we were soon bursting at the seams, resulting in our opening a Club in the former Norwood Volunteer Fire Station, soon followed by the Oakland Beach branch. In 1983, recognizing its responsibility to community girls, the Club changed its name to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick and began serving girls. After a successful capital campaign, a 17,000 square foot Norwood branch was constructed in 2002, housing a day care center, teen center, community police station and more. Renovations and an addition to the Oakland Beach branch began in 2004 which now includes a full-size gymnasium, technology center, full service kitchen and a community police station. Additional work has yielded a new fitness center at Oakland Beach and recording studios at both Norwood and Oakland Beach. These efforts have resulted in increased teen attendance and new members from local high schools. At the beginning of this new school year there are already 25 more members per day attending Oakland Beach. Our buses are at capacity on nearly every bus run to our Norwood facility, forcing us to start a waiting list. Our growth and the need for our services is huge! Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick’s services are a critical area resource – helping kids – helping families – helping the community.