We are flying through the year! We have had such a busy and productive beginning to 2018 and are excited for the rest of the year to come. Currently, all of our sites are getting ready to participate in the National Youth Outcome Initiative (NYOI) to help us measure how our members perceive the Club environment. This survey asks our members questions about emotional safety, physical safety, their sense of belonging, teamwork, leadership, integrity, and goals within the Boys & Girls Club and is invaluable to us as an organization, helping us every year to gain valuable insight into what our members truly believe about their Club experience. Last year's NYOI survey showed us that while our members said they had many opportunities for leadership, plenty of staff recognition, and strong connections with a caring adult, we had room to grow in the areas of conflict resolution and concern for the community. This survey, which we will be starting in the middle of March, provides information for all of the staff to work more effectively with our members, and grow to ensure that all of our members feel safe and respected at the Club. If you would like more information about our programs, or would like to become a part of the Club by volunteering, please feel free to call our office at (707) 441-1030. 

This year, Boys & Girls Club of America has launched The Big Help Service Project, a project through Million Members, Million Hours of Service that aims to provide members with opportunities to engage with environmentally focused service projects and activities that lead up to Earth Day. This year, our leadership groups, Keystone, Torch Club, and Eco Club, have been kicking their acts of service into high gear, participating in community and beach clean ups, trail maintenance, and recycling initiatives. Eco Club, our McKinleyville Teen Center's Keystone Club, has been focusing their energy on recycling and composting, teaching their peers which pieces of their trash are recyclable, while learning the most effective means of composting in order to maintain the community garden. Our Eureka Teen Center has participated in multiple community clean ups, including their most recent project in downtown Eureka. These members, with the help of staff, and even some community members, were able to bag up over six bags of trash in just a few hours. The Clubhouse also has been working hard to reduce littering and beautify the surrounding community. Together, these groups are proving that little actions can lead to big changes, and everyone can do their part to protect the environment.