Message from our CEO, Geovanny Ragsdale | |
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Upcoming workshop presented by West Mark School Homework Strategies for Every Learner.
Learn homework strategies for children who think and learn differently. Hear from experts about tips and tools to support executive functioning, time management, and organizational skill-building to set your student up for success.
October 9th, 2023 6pm-7pm
Reseda Elementary
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Looking for a way to support the Fine Arts program at Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley? Look no further!
✅ Enjoy an evening of painting, wine, and delicious hors d’oeuvres during our Painting with a Purpose event at Painting with a Twist, Chatsworth on Tuesday October 17th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Purchase tickets now at ➡️ bgcwv.org/paint
OR
✅ Visit our online art auction! Thanks to a generous donation of beautiful paintings from Painting with a Twist, you can now bid on your favorite piece and help make a difference in the lives of youth in the West Valley!
Make your bids today by visiting at ➡️ bgcwv.org/auction
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Save the Date!
The 3rd Annual Great Futures for Kids Breakfast will take place on December 5th, 2023.
More details to come.
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A big welcome to our newest Corporate Champion Partner!
Jerk Wings Cafe recently opened a new location in the Woodland Hills-Canoga Park Westfield Mall food court. Learning about our Youth of the Year program, which recognizes youth who are an exemplary example of dedication to school, family, and community, the Manager, Yvonne, wanted to get involved!
Jerk Wings Cafe has generously committed to sponsoring a table at our annual Youth of the Year event next spring, provided free meal certificates to some deserving high school students, and committed to recognizing each of our “Youth of the Month” members at Canoga Park High School with a Jerk Wings free meal certificate.
Thank You Jerk Wings Cafe for your Partnership!
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This month, D.A. Davidson volunteered to read to our members and ran an activity about finances.
If you would like to volunteer your time, contact Denise Zarate, Community Relations Manager: d.zarate@bgcwv.org or volunteer@bgcwv.org
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"Ay Caramba!" An Evening with Nancy Cartwright and Benefit for the BGCWV Cooper Literacy Program | |
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Thank you to all who sponsored and attended our first annual BGCWV Cooper Literacy Event! Because of your support, the event netted $15,000 for our literacy program.
Special thank you to Martin M. Cooper, and event co-chairs, Jessica Yasukochi and Jan Sobel, for your leadership and advocacy on the importance of literacy!
With appreciation to icon voice actor, Nancy Cartwright, for your support.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Bonnie & Donald Weissman
Bob Blumenfield
Councilmember 3rd District
Dennis P. Zine
Los Angeles City Councilmember (ret.)
Mark Stover
Dean, University Library
California State University, Northridge
Donato Ricci
General Manager
The Oaks at Lakeside
Michael Hiller
President,
Hiller Enterprise
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As Summer officially ends, and with Halloween just around the corner, members enjoyed an extra special treat with a trip to our local Regal Cinema to see the new Haunted Mansion movie! It was a ghostly good time!
Thank you to Regal Movies and their summer movie express program for providing us with this spook-tacular opportunity!
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Members from Chatsworth High School, Cleveland High School, and Canoga Park High School attended a special College Bound Retreat event located at CSU Dominguez Hills on September 9, 2023 hosted by BGCLA Harbor.
This event’s purpose was to prepare our seniors with all the information they need to know about applying for postsecondary education. Members were able to engage with other BGC clubs and left this event motivated and prepared for the next busy months ahead of them as they work on college applications.
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Join us in congratulating these exceptional individuals on their well-deserved promotions! 🎉
🌟 Angel A. - Child & Club Safety Director
🌟 Juliette G. - Teen Services Director
🌟 Natalie S. - Elementary Services Director
Their dedication, leadership, and commitment to our mission is truly inspiring. We're excited to see them shine in their new roles as they continue to make a positive impact on the lives of our youth.
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Please welcome Lisa, our new Special Events Manager!
“My dream of working for a nonprofit has come true! I am beyond thrilled to be joining Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley where I can help make an uplifting, positive and lasting impact on our children, our future.” - Lisa
We're so excited to have Lisa on board as we work together to create Great Futures for the youth in our community. Welcome to the team!
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Congratulations to our teen members, Janice and Luna!
This month, 10 BGCA teens received $2,500 scholarships from the Charles Schwab Foundation, through the Money Matters program, for their outstanding personal finance leadership skills - and two of of those members are from BGCWV!
These scholarships recognize their outstanding personal finance leadership skills and the valuable lessons they've learned about budgeting, saving, goal-setting, and more through Money Matters.
We are so proud of Janice and Luna for their hard work!
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We are seeking a bookkeeper to join our team.
For the full job description and qualifications needed, please visit bgcwv.org/careers
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September Club Highlights | |
Check out this past month's happenings: | |
National Hispanic Heritage Month | |
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Did you know, 70% of our enrolled members and 64% of our staff are of Latino/Hispanic heritage?
Hispanic Heritage Month is unique in that it crosses over two months, celebrated from September 15 to October 15. This time period was chosen because it includes Independence Day celebrations for Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
Hispanic and Latino heritage is rich with history, culture and exciting contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans past and present. Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month offers families, members and staff an opportunity to explore these vibrant cultures.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize and honor the contributions of the Latino community. Across our 10 sites, members have engaged in activities that broaden their awareness of Hispanic and Latino culture. Some activities include; learning about the cultural significance of Papel Picados and creating their own papel picado designs, playing the traditional Mexican game, Lotería, and learning about famous latin artists such as Frida Kalo and Salvador Dali.
When kids and teens learn about culture, they broaden their view of the world and deepen their understanding of others.
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BGCWV Adds Three New Sites for 2023-2024 | |
On September 11, 2023 our Club opened the doors to three new elementary sites! As of this date, we are proudly serving families of Calabash Charter Academy, Woodland Hills Charter for Enriched Studies, and Justice St. Academy. Currently we are serving over 70 members across these new sites and look forward to collaborating with the school communities to continue our enrollment and support of families and youth. | | |
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Education
It's College Bound application season! Cleveland High School members have kicked off the first round of the College Application Series Workshops. This program runs for a total of 4 weeks every Tuesday and Thursday. These workshops will support seniors through successful submission of applications and UC Personal Insight Question Essay assistance and CSU EOP program application support with short response questions.
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The Arts
At Reseda Elementary School, we are committed to providing our students with a well-rounded education that goes beyond traditional classroom learning. One shining example of our dedication to holistic development is Coach Hissel’s Spotlight Sprouts program. This unique program offers an invaluable opportunity for these young members to break out of their shells and cultivate their confidence and creativity in a supportive environment through performing arts.
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Sports & Recreation
We’re so excited to have teamed up with community member and Club supporter, Jeff, to bring an interactive new way to get our teens moving and practicing healthy habits! Grades 6-8 are diving into the world of pickleball, learning new skills, and gearing up for games and competitions. Join us every Tuesday this Fall for some active fun!
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Leadership & Service
Congratulations to our Youth of the Month (YOM) at Canoga Park High School! Rafael's selection stems from his active engagement with our program, showcasing that our future-ready program is suitable for students of all grade levels, underlining the idea that it's never too early to benefit from it. Rafael was awarded with a special treat from our YOM sponsor Jerk Wings Cafe. Way to go Rafael!
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Community Building
Members at our new site, Woodland Hills Elementary, were playing “Human Knot” in 2 groups as a community builder in their pods. It was a great way for everyone to feel comfortable with each other, laugh, and become closer as a group!
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In 2023 the Club obtained a federal appropriations grant through the support of Congressman Brad Sherman. Our intention is to grow our middle school teen membership, focusing on those who have progressed through our elementary programs and continue to engage them through their adolescent years.
By way of this grant, we are able to offer free transportation to middle school youth. At the beginning of the semester we partnered with several middle schools to outreach and offer this service to teen families. Currently we transport teens from Canoga Park Middle School, Woodland Hills Academy, Ivy Academia, Hale Charter Middle School and have grown our teen membership to 41 unique members which is an 86% increase from last Fall! We are excited to continue working with our local community to engage more teens throughout the year.
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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.
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Join the Monthly Giving Club | |
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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.
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A monthly gift of $10 provides one afternoon of services for one kid every month.
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A monthly gift of $25 helps to subsidize one kid's transportation to the Clubhouse for one day every month.
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A monthly gift of $50 provides supplies for one class offered to 20 kids every month.
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A monthly gift of $100 provides a STEM kit for one class of 20 kids every month.
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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.
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Info, Resources, & Community Events | | |
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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. | |
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 | |
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. | | | | |
