Thank You for an Incredible Year! | |
Message from members, staff, & CEO, Geovanny Ragsdale | |
January 3rd - January 6th
Final week of Winter Camp! ❄️
Bored over winter break? There is still time to join the fun at Winter Camp!
With gaming tournaments, art projects, music activities, and more...you'll always have something fun to do here at the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley!
The last week of camp takes place January 3rd - January 6th. For more information and to sign up, please visit bgcwv.org
To register for the last week of winter camp, click here.
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Light Up a Life: Adopt a Family | |
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THANK YOU to the incredibly generous donors who helped make our Adopt a Family: Annual Light Up A Life Event a success!
We are so grateful to the following individuals and businesses for their donations to this year's event:
Macy's at Westfield Topanga & The Village
🎁 $1,000 Gift Cards for families in need
🎁 Donated Beautifully Wrapped Gifts for families
🎁 Christmas Trees for 7 families
Eva Steortz
🎁 Holiday basket for families
Maxine & Rick Simon: Temple Ramat Zion
🎁Donations of toys collected from their Synagogue
King Fandom, Incorporated
🎁Donation of collectible toys
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield
🎁Toy donation
Neiman Marcus at Westfield Topanga & The Village
🎁Donation of gift cards and cookies
Bob Smith & Tim Smith: New Car Dealers Association
🎁$10,000 grant to the Club
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Shoe Stores Helping Others | |
Sole Natives, a partnership with Hector Orellana, Founder of YM.kicks818 online store, and Sneaker Hustle, Founder Elliy Gorlik, secured over 60 toys for local youth. These two successful entrepreneurs wanted to give back to their community! THANK YOU!! | |
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Thank you isn't strong enough for us to say to Karl-Heinz & Barbara Pitsch for their fundraising efforts, maximized by amazing volunteers! Their time, effort, care, and enthusiasm raised just over $9,000 for the Club. A generous donation of high-end brand-name hair care products hit the makeshift shelves of the Gary M. Thomas Clubhouse gymnasium for an amazing 2-day Warehouse Sale. Community members were invited to shop and support the Club. Thanks to all who shopped!
Additional events will be held in 2023. Thank you to our caring volunteers who supported the sale: Ashley Duran Peter, Zohreh Machuga, Nicole Fulton, Nadre Davini, Sudi Parvarash, Christy Kayser, Gabriela Castillo, Jennifer Rivera, Irene Kabasa, Gabriel Barb, Gayane Kesablyan, Regina Pena, Cory Esters, Melissa Burnstine, Stephen Levinson, Laurie Fulton, Cathy Balin, and Tina Minkow.
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Leaving a Legacy Foundation | |
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Kimberly Verdugo, a former Club member working with Leaving A Legacy Foundation, arranged a Toy Drive securing over 100 toys for our members. THANK YOU Kimberly and team for your partnership!
Leaving A Legacy Foundation advocates for cleaner communities by picking up trash in parks, cities and by recycling. They aim to lead by example, promoting clean streets and the importance of recycling to people of all ages.
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Macy's provided a $4,000 grant in support of Winter Camp ensuring our members and community youth in need have a safe, fun welcoming place to be. Thank you Macy's for your partnership and support!
Thank you to Millie Crespo-Garrett, Senior Director Topanga, Del Hernandez, Store Manager Northridge, (Grant Committee), and Team members: Grace Blancaflor, Ana Nevarez Aguilar, William Webb all the store associates supporting the Club!
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Thank you to our incredible staff! Everyday they go above and beyond for the Club and most importantly - for our members. We had a lovely holiday party in December and we look forward to an amazing New Year! | |
Check out this month's happenings: | | |
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Holiday Parties
Members at Blythe Elementary enjoyed their Christmas party with our very own YDP, Sadi Hernandez, dressing up as Santa Claus!
Special thank you to Warner Center Chamber Members who supported our Holiday parties for all 7 sites: Phil Swain, Ted Cotter, Star Tomlinson, Lisa O'Laughlin, Donald Weissman, Steve Hochman, and Sandy Rozenholz.
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Education
Our members spent a whole week learning about the different ways that others may celebrate at the end of the year. Here you can see our members creating their own Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles).
The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green; black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle. Therefore there is one black candle, three red and three green candles.
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STEM
December's STEM challenge had members at Bythe Elementary use their creativity to create and decorate an igloo using only cotton balls and glue. Here we have our competing teams showing off their creations!
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End of Year Celebrations
At Canoga Park High, we had holiday activities with our members! Each day was a different activity and it was a hit. We made snow globes, Christmas cards, had our holiday party, and made ornaments! The kids had a great time and it was an awesome way to end the semester!
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Fun Friday
Every Fun Friday, members have the ability to choose which activity they wish to partake in for the day. Pictured here, we have members participating in Coach Marissa’s Crochet Club!
Our special YDP was teaching our members how to start a yarn chain. We are excited to see what they create by the end of the school year!
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Dollars Raised in November | |
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As donors and members, we want to thank you for supporting the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley.
Your collective gifts generated the following breakdown to the organization.
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Info, Resources, & Community Events | |
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Neiman Marcus is spreading the magic of giving! 💝
From now until January 31, you can round up your change to donate to the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley when you shop in person at our local Neiman Marcus (located in Westfield Topanga).
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Neiman Marcus has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 2018 and is committed to supporting BGCA’s mission and local Boys & Girls Clubs through the Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation. Thank you to Kate Debernardi for her leadership on this project, team members Miri Wilkins, Mary Kate Steinmiller, Scott Colunga, store associates, and BGCA for this wonderful partnership.💙
Neiman Marcus
(located in Westfield Topanga & The Village)
6550 Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Canoga Park, CA 91303
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Free Hotspots for Qualifying Youth
Through Project 10 Million, T-Mobile is providing free hotspots with five years of free service to youth who qualify for free and reduced price lunch.
Learn more
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The Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) is looking to enroll new families in the San Fernando Valley area
The CCRC can help you pay for childcare for all hours of the days, nights, weekends, or even just a few hours a week. Visit ccrcca.org/apply to view the requirements and to get your application started.
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GoPass Program
The GoPass Program is available to students at participating K-12 schools and community colleges, with a focus on helping students ride transit without the worry of paying fare. With a registered GoPass TAP card, students attending participating schools can ride Metro and other participating systems to and from school, and for trips after school and on weekends. Click here to see the participating schools, districts, and transit partners.
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Shop local and support the Canoga Park Famers Market on Saturdays.
Closed December 31. Will re-open January 7th, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
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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. | |
Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley| www.bgcwv.org |(818) 610-1054 | | | | |
