Geovanny Ragsdale, President/CEO, shares a end-of-year message. | | |
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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 holiday season, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is proud to launch 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. | | We recognize the many members of our caring community who stopped by our Club to donate toys and treats this holiday season. Your generosity and kindness brought joy to our members and their families, and truly embodied the spirit of the season. | | We extend a heartfelt thank you to Neiman Marcus - Westfield Topanga, Target in Canoga Park, Sneaker Hustle, SoCal Gas, and Aydiee Vaughn Dunson for their generous holiday gifts to our members. The time you took to coordinate toy drives and shop for families in need was beyond generous, and we THANK YOU! Your thoughtfulness helped make the season brighter and more meaningful for many of those we serve. | | |
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!
November Dollars Received: $427,309.00
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Individual & Affiliate Contributions: $3,244
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Foundation Grants: $66,667
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Corporate Giving: $0
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Government Grants: $342,671
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Special Events: $5,340
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Other: $9,387
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: | | Kindergarten YDP Shirt Competition | | This month, members across all nine elementary sites participated in the Kindergarten YDP Shirt Competition. The competition lasted throughout December and was created to showcase and promote the art and creativity of the youngest members the club serves. From Reseda to Woodland Hills, TK and Kindergarten members were tasked with creating a Boys & Girls Club staff shirt tailored specifically for our Kindergarten Team—with the help of 4th- and 5th-grade Big Buddies. The winning design will be brought to life and distributed to our Kinder Coaches to show true Kinder pride. The winner will be announced at the beginning of the spring semester and will be voted on by the Kinder Team, Site Coordinators, and the Kindergarten Coordinator. Keep an eye out for the next e-newsletter edition, where we'll showcase the winning design. | | December was filled with excitement and special events at Blythe, celebrating the holiday season and bringing our members together. On 12/9, members who completed the attendance challenge kicked off the festivities with a holiday party, enjoying The Polar Express, decorating sugar cookies, sipping chocolate milk with marshmallows to match the movie’s hot cocoa, and sharing pizza with friends | | For our last day of school before winter break, all members joined in Spirit Day in their cozy pajamas and watched The Nightmare Before Christmas under the stars on our inflatable movie screen. Cupcakes donated by teachers, along with popcorn and chips from our club buck store, made the evening even sweeter. | | |
This month, our members enjoyed a hands-on winter craft activity by creating their very own snowflakes! Using wooden sticks, glue, and a variety of decorations, each child designed a unique snowflake that reflected their creativity and imagination.
This activity encouraged fine motor skills, patience, and self-expression while reminding our members that—just like snowflakes—everyone is unique in their own special way. The kids were proud to show off their creations, and our space was filled with excitement, focus, and winter cheer.
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This holiday season, our program brought extra joy to families in our community through a special one-day holiday celebration. During this event, the Khan Family was highlighted, and the Haynes team proudly nominated our student, Roodro, for this meaningful opportunity.
Roodro exemplifies kindness, humility, and optimism—qualities that truly reflect the spirit of the season and our Club. We are grateful to our generous donors who made it possible to spread holiday cheer and support families during this festive time.
A heartfelt thank you to the Khan Family for their participation and continued involvement in our Club. Together, we were able to create a memorable and joyful holiday experience for our community.
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| -Justice Street Elementary- | | This month at Justice Street, we held an end-of-year holiday party to celebrate the semester. The event included hot cocoa with marshmallows and Christmas cookies, along with a few holiday decorations and a tree to set the atmosphere. Members received gifts and were excited to receive them, which was meaningful to see. The children also participated in painting wooden trees that were prepared by our former coach, Angel, before his departure. Overall, it was a positive way to conclude the semester. | | -Stanley Mosk Elementary- | | Kindergarten members of Mosk Boys & Girls Club showcased their creativity during the 2025 Kindergarten T-Shirt Design Competition. Members were provided blank templates to decorate. Members practiced fine motor skills while bringing their visions to life. The winning design will be decided by various site coordinators and screenprinted onto an actual T-shirt for kinder members and their coaches to wear! | Kindergarten 2025 T-Shirt Design Competition | | | |
Throughout the month of December, Serrania members participated in hands-on STEM activities, creative enrichment projects, and holiday crafts designed to support fine motor development, creativity, and social-emotional learning as we prepared for winter break. These programs served TK–5th-grade members, with our members participating throughout the month.
Members engaged in a variety of activities, including STEM-inspired building challenges that encouraged problem-solving and coordination, as well as creative art projects that allowed students to explore color, texture, and self-expression. In addition, members created holiday-themed crafts, providing an opportunity to reflect on the season while building excitement for winter break in a positive and structured environment.
These programs ran throughout December during after-school hours and resulted in completed projects that members were proud to showcase. A unique highlight of this month was the balance between academic enrichment and festive creativity, helping members stay engaged, focused, and excited as the semester came to a close. Stay engaged, focused, and excited as the semester comes to a close.
| | -Woodland Hills Elementary- | | Our kindergarten group wrapped up their winter performance with a joyful Christmas party. Dina, a 4th-grade helper, suggested taking a group photo for Emmet, a kindergarten member who will be moving away this spring. The picture serves as a special reminder of the friendships and community Emmet experienced at the Club. | | -Canoga Park Teen Center- | | Our teens decorated sugar cookies this month ahead of the holiday break. Cookie decorating is a fun and creative activity that lets our members express themselves while enjoying a festive tradition. It helps improve fine motor skills and focus as our members pipe icing and place decorations. The activity can also reduce stress and boost one's mood, especially when shared with friends | | | Our Holiday DIY Gift Making event brought members together for a festive, hands-on experience filled with creativity, laughter, and holiday cheer. Designed for our club members, this special activity gave youth the opportunity to create their own handmade holiday gifts while spending quality time bonding with friends. Members worked side by side, shared ideas, and helped one another bring their creations to life, making the space feel warm, welcoming, and full of positive energy. The program wasn’t just about craft; it was about connection, teamwork, and making meaningful memories. By the end of the day, members proudly took home their unique holiday gifts along with smiles, new friendships, and a strong sense of community. | | |
On December 8, 2025, in Room N214, the Chancellors transformed the classroom into a creative studio as they participated in a hands-on bookmark-making activity sponsored by Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley. Using colorful scrapbooking papers, students measured and cut each piece to exactly 2 inches by 8 inches, selecting patterns that reflected their personalities, their favorite genres, or the readers to whom they planned to gift the bookmarks.
After cutting their designs, Chancellors fed the strips through the laminator, watching their creations become sturdy, long-lasting bookmarks ready for daily use in their independent reading. The final touch was adding a tassel, which quickly became everyone’s favorite part. Some chose classic colors, others mixed bold shades, and a few even coordinated tassels to match the aesthetic of their chosen paper.
The room buzzed with collaboration, laughter, and the quiet joy of making something meaningful with their own hands. Many Chancellors made extra bookmarks to give to friends, siblings, and fellow book lovers on campus. The activity not only encouraged creativity and fine-motor skills but also reinforced the culture of reading and community that thrives in N214.
It was a beautiful reminder of how small projects, supported by partners like Boys & Girls Club, can bring students together and spark joy in the middle of a school day.
| | During the month of December, Cleveland High School Keystone program hosted a Winter Wonderland Event. The students of Keystone were responsible for planning, hosting, and creating a winter-themed event that celebrated all winter holidays. This was a chance for students to destress during finals. The activities planned were cookie decorating, clay snowman making, cardboard gingerbread houses, ornament decorating, and Raising Cane's and Shirley Temples were served. The students had the opportunity to express their voice and leadership capabilities, and they excelled by providing and serving an event to 141 students. | | Keystone Winter Wonderland | | If you missed the opportunity to support this year's inaugural Home for the Holidays Kids Got Talent Show, you're in luck. We invite you to sitback and enjoy the show now! Once you see the talent and the hard work the kids and coaches put into the show, we invite you to consider making an end of year gift so this kind of programming can continue to thrieve at the Club. | | | | |
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. | | | | |
