Message from our CEO, Geovanny Ragsdale

Invest in Our Teens: Supporting the Future

Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley (BGCWV) is reaching out to you, seeking your valuable support. We are facing a pressing need to enhance our current facilities to better serve the growing number of teenagers in our community. Unfortunately, our Teen Center can only accommodate around 20 teens, which is far from sufficient.

In the recently concluded 2022-2023 school year, 108 fifth graders have transitioned and become eligible to join the Teen Center. However, due to our limited capacity, we are unable to accommodate them all. This year, we have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact by focusing on retaining our existing members as they embark on their middle school journey.

The ongoing pandemic has further exacerbated the prevailing crisis in teenage mental health across the nation. At BGCWV, we have taken proactive measures to address this issue by incorporating various Social Emotional Learning opportunities for our members. These programs equip them with valuable tools and skills for self-awareness and emotional management.

Extensive research conducted during and after the pandemic has unequivocally shown that our youth have been significantly affected. According to the Mental Health America (MHA) 2020 report, California ranks 33rd in terms of overall youth mental health among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report also highlights that nearly one in 10 California teens experienced a major depressive episode during the year.

Each year, BGCWV actively participates in the National Youth Outcomes Initiative (NYOI). In 2022, our teens reported a remarkable improvement in their ability to cope with anxiety and depression, thanks to the skills they acquired at the Club.

• 95 percent of our teens self-reported avoiding risky behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, marijuana use, and fighting.
• 90 percent expressed confidence in standing up for their beliefs, even if their friends disagreed.
• 91 percent reported not being involved in any physical altercations in the past 12 months.
• 97 percent of BGCWV members affirmed being on grade level for their age.

Now, we invite you to join us in our endeavor to serve at least half of our incoming sixth graders this fall. Thanks to the generous MacKenzie Scott gift bestowed upon our Club in 2022, the Board of Directors has allocated $150,000 as a matching challenge. This sum will go towards expanding the BGCWV Teen Center. To achieve our goal, we seek to raise a total of $300,000 by December 31st. This means our community needs to contribute $150,000, which will be matched and invested in our Teen Center program at the Canoga Park space.

We would be grateful if you could take the time to learn about the various ways you can invest in our youth. Please feel free to contact either me or Kelly Ventimiglia to discuss potential naming or gift opportunities. Our aim is to secure the necessary funds to ensure our members can continue to thrive academically, lead healthy lifestyles, and become active contributors to their society.

Together, let us make a difference in the lives of our teens and pave the way for a brighter future.

We welcome our newest partner, Raising Cane's, who is active in numerous communities with support for over 30,000 local organizations. We look forward to this partnership as we work together to provide opportunities for youth in our community.

“Being actively involved in our communities is a part of who we are and dates back to the early days of Cane’s. We are serving more than craveable chicken finger meals - we are serving our communities." - Todd Graves, Raising Cane’s Founder

Thank you to Raising Cane’s!

Become a Corporate Champion!

As a Corporate Champion of Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, a business or individual can choose from varied levels of sponsorship that cover all our events throughout the year.

Each level offers a multitude of marketing opportunities including name recognition at high profile community events, and broad visibility in print and social media recognition throughout the entire year. We offer flexibility by tailoring sponsorship packages to meet marketing needs:

• E-Newsletters, Annual Reports, Feature Stories

• Website Recognition

• Presenting Event and Program Sponsorship, Banners, Program Listings, Media, VIP Experiences

You can become a corporate champion and sponsor as you help us provide support for programs that will positively change the lives of young people in our community forever. Contact: k.ventimiglia@bgcwv.org I Visit: bgcwv.org/ways-to-give

VICA Hall of Fame

We are still over the moon about being inducted into the VICA Hall of Fame this month!

Thank you to everyone at VICA for hosting a wonderful event and for your constant support of Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley and the work that we do. We are grateful and honored to be included among the other incredible organizations in the VICA Hall of Fame.

June 26th Summer Kickoff and BGC Week Celebration Event

We are overflowing with gratitude for the incredible turnout at our Summer Kickoff & BGC Week Celebration event on June 26th. Games were played, delicious food was eaten, and special prizes were won! Congratulations to those of you who won tickets to Universal Studios or Disneyland! We thank the amazing donors who provided these prizes and made this event possible!

A very special shout-out to our generous sponsor Canoga Park Neighborhood Council for making it possible to throw such a wonderful event. It was a joy to see all the smiling faces of our families and community members as we celebrated together.

A big thank you to our amazing community, sponsors, and donors for making this event a success!

Resources:

• Canoga Park Neighborhood Council
• Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore
• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
• Providence Community Health
• San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center Inc. - Bullying and School Violence Advocacy Program

Resources:

• Anthem Blue Cross
• Office of Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel
• Office of Senator Henry Stern, District 27
• Grocery Outlet- Canoga Park
• Mega and La Raza
• Office of Councilmember Bob Blumenfield
• Los Angeles City Council, Third District
• Health Net
• Northeast Valley Health Corporation - WIC Program

Volunteers:

• Ashley Duran (Bank of Southern California)
• CarMax
• Lee Levy (Zumba)
• Torch Club
• Kiwanis of Chatsworth & Key Club members
• BGCWV Teen Volunteers
• Efrain Botello
• Anthem Blue Cross

Future Ready Graduation & Scholarship Ceremony

A huge thank you to the sponsors of our Future Ready Graduation & Scholarship Ceremony. All of our sponsors enabled us to provide an amazing experience to our members and their families.

Thank you to Grocery Outlet for sponsoring all of our drinks, fruit & veggie platters, and appetizers. Thank you to Woodland Hills Costco, Empire Auto Sales and Leasing, and Our Community Mortgage for sponsoring our entree. Thank you Nothing Bundt Cakes for our desserts, and Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and Councilmember John Lee, and Sherwood Cares for supporting the event!

Thank you to our NCL volunteers who assisted our Future Ready Graduation & Scholarship Ceremony by putting together this awesome balloon arch. Thank you for helping make our event look beautiful!

STEPSS Program

Members of our Future Ready STEPSS program participated in an intensive work based learning training over the past several weeks.

Members are eligible for work based learning as a result of their participation in the STEPSS program, which is Future Ready’s Career Exploration Workforce Development Program.

Through their participation in the program, members learned skills such as professionalism and problem solving in the workforce, networking, mock interviews, and resume building.  Senior members were prepared to work with us over the summer as staff and underclassmen were prepared to volunteer. Congratulations to our members for successfully entering the workforce and developing their employability skills!

Welcome Hans!

virtual.assistant@bgcwv.org

Please join us in welcoming our new staff member, Hans! He joins BGCWV as a virtual assistant and we are very grateful to have him on the team.

Congratulations!

We are proud to celebrate the academic achievements of our incredible staff!

Congratulations to our talented team members who have recently graduated from college - each of you have shown remarkable dedication balancing your commitment to our organization with the pursuit of higher education.

Check out this past month's happenings:

As donors and members, we want to thank you for supporting Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley.



Your collective gifts generated the following breakdown to the organization.

As an individual who values the work of Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, you can make an immediate difference when you become a monthly donor. Monthly givers help provide high-quality programs which serve the kids and youth across the West Valley during the most critical hours of the day, after-school.

• A monthly gift of $10 provides one afternoon of services for one kid every month.
• A monthly gift of $25 helps to subsidize one kid's transportation to the Clubhouse for one day every month. 
• A monthly gift of $50 provides supplies for one class offered to 20 kids every month. 
• A monthly gift of $100 provides a STEM kit for one class of 20 kids every month. 
• A monthly gift of $250 provides two weeks of summer camp programs for one kid. 

We serve the kids daily because you partner with us on our mission to inspire and enable every young person, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible adults. 

Shop local and support the Canoga Park Famers Market on Saturdays.

Our Corporate Champion program recognizes businesses that support the Club with a year-long contribution that impacts the lives of more than 2,500 young people. Contact us to become a Corporate Champion today! To learn more, click here.

Stay Connected!

Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley| www.bgcwv.org |(818) 610-1054

Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit in the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, and the IRS. Our EIN is 95-4419365. To support the work we do in 2023 you can call 818.610.1054 ext. 2001 or give directly at www.bgcwv.org/donate every gift helps to ensure kids and youth have a safe place to reach their full potential.