Geovanny Ragsdale
President/CEO | | |
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| | We have transitioned to MyClubHub for our member management system. Are you a parent, looking to enroll your child in one of our programs for the upcoming semester? Click below to register at one of our 13 sites across the West Valley. | | |
This past holiday season, Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched a new partnership with Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retailer in North America. Now through January 31, 2026, Michaels customers across the U.S. and Canada can round up their purchase or make a small donation at checkout to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America and BGC Canada. This campaign will fuel creative programs that help young people explore art, build confidence, and express themselves—providing access to supplies, hands-on activities, and safe, inspiring spaces to create. With nearly 84% of Michaels stores located within 15 miles of a Boys & Girls Club, this partnership is a powerful opportunity to drive local impact. Every contribution—no matter the size—helps ensure more youth have the creative tools and experiences they need to thrive.
The stores you can visit, to benefit BGCWV are:
- Fallbrook Center in West Hills, CA.
- Granada Hills Town Center in Granada Hills, CA.
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We’ve Updated Our Giving Page!
This January, we made some exciting changes and are now using GiveButter! Visit our website at bgcwv.org, from where you can choose to make a one-time or a monthly donation. Every gift, $5 per month, makes an impact in the life of a youth we serve this month.
GiveButter will strongly encourage you to cover the transaction fees, so every dollar you give goes to serve kids. They also offer more payment options, including PayPal, Cash App Pay, and ACH, which have lower fees.
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to donate!
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Thank you to our community partner-
Sunberry Acai Bowls for a Give Back Day Fundraiser!
We appreciate your partnership!
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Give Back While You Snack!
We’re excited to partner with Sunberry Acai Bowls for a Give Back Day Fundraiser this Saturday, January 31!
Sunberry Acai Bowls
18100 Chatsworth St.
Granada Hills, CA 91344
10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (one day only!)
When you stop by and mention Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley or show our flyer, 20% of your purchase will be donated back to support our Club and the youth we serve every day.
Grab an acai bowl, support a local business, and give back to our community—all at once! Thank you to Sunberry Acai Bowls for their generosity and support.
We hope to see you there!
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We are grateful for our generous and caring community of donors.
Your support makes a meaningful difference for almost 3,000 members, and we thank you!
December Dollars Received: $376,553.00
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Individual & Affiliate Contributions: $12,118.00
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Foundation Grants: $29,613.00
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Corporate Giving: $7,251.00
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Government Grants: $314,219.00
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Special Events: $13,352.00
Visit our Ways to Give webpage to view the many opportunities that support our programs, services, and operations.
We appreciate donors who donate online, as it supports our programs more seamlessly.
Consider becoming a volunteer and giving your time and talent to the next generation of leaders at one of our Club locations.
Contact: Kelly Ventimiglia, Chief Philanthropy Officer, k.ventimiglia@bgcwv.org
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Volunteers are needed Monday through Friday to support our members!
Are you interested in a meaningful experience where you can share your knowledge, time, and experience with our club members? Join our volunteer program today!
Currently, we need retired teachers to volunteer and support the training of our newest staff who work directly with the kids.
Our fall programs are running through December 12th. The Club has opportunities for volunteer support from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, contact us via email at Volunteer@BGCWV.ORG or visit bgcwv.org/volunteer.
If you are interested in a volunteer group project, let us know so we can share special projects needed during other hours of the day.
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Our opportunities right now are permanent, Part-time, and Full-time!
All permanent part-time staff receive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual, get paid for our nine approved holidays, and have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) after 90 days with the organization.
Join our team and make a life-long difference in the lives of the youth we serve!
To view the job descriptions and qualifications, visit bgcwv.org/careers
| | Check out this past month's highlights: | | Big Buddy, Little Buddy: Fruit Rockets | | |
On January 21st, our Big Buddy, Little Buddy Fruit Kabob Activity took place at Reseda, MOKA, Woodland Hills, and Haynes sites. This fun and engaging enrichment activity was designed especially for our Kinder members, with about 10 participants at each site. Each child had the chance to feel like a “mini chef” while creating their own colorful fruit kabobs.
During the activity, members explored a variety of fruits, strengthened their fine motor skills, and learned simple but important lessons about healthy eating habits in a playful, hands-on way. The day ended with a delicious snack celebration, making it a memorable experience that supports wellness, independence, and confidence in our youngest learners.
This program will run twice a month and helps provide nutritious experiences for members who may not always have easy access to healthy food options. A special highlight came from Woodland Hills Elementary, where members had the opportunity to cut and prepare their own fruit while learning safe cutting techniques.
| | Our kindergarten members had a fantastic time participating in the Fireworks in a Jar STEM activity! Members were highly engaged as they explored how oil, water, and food coloring interact. They made predictions, observed changes, and watched colorful “fireworks” move through the jar. This hands-on experiment sparked curiosity and helped build early science, observation, and inquiry skills in a fun and age-appropriate way. | | |
Members also took part in Emotional Charades during our community builder activity. Through movement and facial expressions, they practiced identifying and expressing different emotions, strengthening their social-emotional learning skills.
It was wonderful to see members excited, focused, and enjoying learning together through interactive STEM and community-building experiences.
| | Our Art Lead, Alondra A., led an engaging and imaginative activity that combined art and sports into one exciting, interactive experience for our members. Inspired by Marty Supreme’s Golden Globe–recognized film, members designed and decorated their own personalized paddles based on their individual inspirations and creative themes. | | |
After completing their paddles, members brought their designs to life by using balloons to practice hand-eye coordination and develop basic sports skills. The activity wrapped up with a lively game of table balloon tennis, creating a fun and friendly competitive atmosphere.
Alondra’s creativity encouraged members to express themselves artistically while also building teamwork, focus, and sportsmanship. She highlighted the importance of enjoying the process behind each game, helping members see how art and creativity play a meaningful role in sports, play, and self-expression.
| | -Gary M. Thomas Clubhouse- | | |
On January 20, 2026, our elementary-aged members participated in a meaningful activity honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This program empowered youth to understand how kindness and small actions can create positive change in their communities and daily lives.
Through arts and crafts, guided discussion, and reflection, members expressed their ideas creatively, strengthened fine motor skills, and practiced communicating their thoughts in a safe and supportive environment. Approximately 15–25 members took part in the activity, engaging thoughtfully with Dr. King’s message in an age-appropriate way.
The program concluded with a completed art-and-writing project and a group reflection, ending in a special displayed showcase titled “We Can Change the World!” A unique highlight of this experience was the integration of emotional check-ins and social-emotional learning, helping youth personally connect Dr. King’s message to their own lives and actions.
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Our members recently participated in a hands-on STEM activity designed to explore physical reactions! Students were encouraged to create a hypothesis about what would happen when water and oil were mixed and to draw predictions of how the mixture would look.
A total of 30 members took part, engaging their curiosity and observation skills throughout the experiment. The activity concluded with each student creating their own “firework” in a bottle to take home, making it a fun and memorable way to learn about science in an interactive, age-appropriate way.
| | -Justice Street Elementary- | | Fun Friday and Club Bucks Store | | |
This month at Justice Street Elementary, our Club Buck Store has become a favorite part of the week for our members! Throughout the week, members earn Club Bucks by showing positive behavior, participating in activities, and being responsible. On Fun Fridays, they get to spend the Club Bucks they’ve earned, learning important lessons about money, saving, and making choices in a fun and engaging way.
We also held a special competition where members earned points toward an ice cream party by following group agreements, participating actively, showing good sportsmanship, and being great friends. Kindergarten won the competition by consistently demonstrating teamwork, respect, and kindness. We are so proud of all our members for making this a fun, positive, and memorable experience for everyone.
| | The soccer club is held every Tuesday and Friday. It’s a chance for members to learn teamwork and develop their skills in a fun and supportive environment. Coach Brenda teaches members fundamental skills such as agility and footwork, which lead to Friday scrimmages. The soccer club has built a sense of camaraderie among the members, making sure every kid gets a chance to be part of the team. | | Big Buddy, Little Buddy Kinder Program | | |
Our Big Buddy, Little Buddy program brought kindergarten and fifth-grade members together at the Boys & Girls Club for a fun and meaningful experience. Fifth graders worked alongside their kindergarten buddies to create projects like water cups and fruit snacks, promoting teamwork, creativity, and learning.
This program helped younger members build confidence while allowing older members to practice leadership and mentorship. It was great to see friendships grow and collaboration shine across age groups!
| | -Woodland Hills Elementary- | | Kinder Club/Healthy Habits | | Coach Kristie and Coach Gabrielle led the kindergarten group in a fun and interactive activity making fruit rocket pops. This hands-on experience helped show members that eating healthy can be both enjoyable and creative. Kindergarten and TK members used kid-friendly knives and cutting boards to make their own fruit skewers, practicing important fine motor skills along the way. During the activity, members also learned how to safely use knives and follow basic kitchen safety rules while preparing their food. The group was excited to enjoy their creations and take pride in making a healthy snack all on their own. | | This month, the teens had an amazing opportunity to learn about building design. The teens worked in several groups to create a layout of a new facility with the help of the BERLINER architects, who came in to lead this activity. This Teen Charette showed our members the importance of organization and prioritization, as well as creativity and critical thinking. As coaches, we were excited to see the engagement and participation of our members, and how their opinions were constructive and supportive, ensuring they achieved the goal of the activity. | | | -Canoga Park High School- | | The Advocates for Healthy Choices Program (TUPE) is designed to educate students about the risks of smoking, vaping, and drug use while promoting healthy decision-making through a peer-led approach. The program engaged approximately 10 students who worked together to create promotional materials so they could deliver lunchtime outreach activities aimed at spreading prevention messages to a wider student audience. By empowering students to serve as advocates for healthy choices, the program fostered leadership, awareness, and positive influence within the school community. | | As part of our welcome-back event, we organized a UNO tournament for our members to encourage engagement and community building. Members were given the opportunity to form teams with one another and participate in a friendly yet competitive environment. Throughout the event, attendees enjoyed a variety of food and drinks while competing in multiple games. At the conclusion of the tournament, the team that achieved the highest number of wins was awarded a free UNO deck as a prize in recognition of their performance | | |
Cleveland High School has kicked off their E-Sports program this semester! Students are enjoying friendly competitions with their peers, sharpening teamwork and strategy skills through a variety of games. Currently, participants use our Nintendo Switch for gameplay, and the program consistently engages around 10 students.
Excitingly, there are plans to expand the program to include different games and consoles, offering even more opportunities for students to connect, compete, and have fun while building skills in a dynamic and interactive environment.
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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.
| | 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. | | We would like to thank the Civic Organizations and Foundations who partner with us. Their support provides with manpower at special events and delivers unique programs to the members at no cost to BGCWV. | | Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley| www.bgcwv.org |(818) 610-1054 | | Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley is a 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. | | | | |
