As we wrap up August, we’re blown away by how much we’ve achieved together in just a few short weeks! Across all twelve of our units, we’ve welcomed new faces, built stronger connections, and laid the foundation for an incredible year ahead. Our site coordinators and their teams have been hard at work creating a positive environment, and it’s already showing in the energy and excitement of our members.

This month wasn’t just about growth and connection—it was also about coming together to support our mission. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve raised $274,960.00 in August alone! These contributions go directly toward enhancing our programs and supporting the youth we serve every day. A huge thank you to all of our donors—you’re making a real difference!

In this issue, you’ll find details about some exciting upcoming events, where we’ll have opportunities to connect, celebrate, and continue making an impact. Don’t miss these chances to get involved.

Plus, we’re shining a spotlight on our site teams with school now back in session, be sure to check out what they have been up to so far.

August was just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

July 19, 2024

BURGER BASH was a huge success and lots of FUN!

The talented Steve Oliver entertained the crowd with games of 'Name that Tune' as well as several fun and uplifting sing-alongs!

M.C., Lisa O'Laughlin with her sidekick Barbara White, lead group trivia. The tables were equipped with bells, and table names were selected.

The room was filled with infectious energy, laughter, and banter!

We are so grateful for the incredible support of our sponsors – we couldn't have hosted this extraordinary event without them!

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!

Our fall programs will be running from August 12th - December 12th. We will have 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.

Our opportunities right now are permanent Part-time and Full-time!

• Part-Time Elementary Youth Development Professional
• Part-Time Youth Development Professional & Driver (middle school)
• High School Youth Development Professional
• Individual Giving Manager
• Drivers (2-hour shift in the afternoons)

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

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We offer the following after school site services; you can have your youth join us at one of the following locations:

Elementary Students

• Calabash Elementary (Woodland Hills)
• Blythe Elementary (Reseda) Open to students from any schools
• Gary M. Thomas Clubhouse (Canoga Park) Walking and Transportation are available from several local schools.
• Justice Street Elementary (West Hills)
• Reseda Elementary (Reseda)
• Serrania Charter for Enriched Studies (Woodland Hills)
• Stanley Mosk Elementary (Winnetka)
• Woodland Hills Elementary Charter for Enriched Studies (Woodland Hills)

Middle School Students

• Teen Center (Canoga Park) 6th-8th grade, we provide transportation from several local schools to our site.

High School Students

• Canoga Park High School (Canoga Park)
• Chatsworth High School (Chatsworth)
• Cleveland Charter High School (Reseda)

To register your youth, click the button below.

If you have any questions, contact our membership coordinator, Bryan De Lazaro, via email at membership@bgcwv.org or phone (818) 915-2241.

Our office is open from 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday.

Check out this past month's highlights:

-Reseda Elementary-

Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley has been very proud to serve at Reseda Elementary for over 15 years now. This semester, our members are welcoming Ms. Mayra as their new site coordinator, Mayra brings prior experience working with youth and is dedicated to supporting our Reseda Members. This past month, our members have been reconnecting with Boys & Girls Club basics as they create their own sets of agreements to follow with us at the club. In their pods, they collaborated to personalize those Group Agreements and learn how to be safe while having fun! 

-Calabash Elementary-

The Boys and Girls Club is returning to Calabash Charter Academy for our second year! We plan to continue offering academic support through Power Hour and additional enrichment activities. Within our first week, we wanted to build friendships within the club, and each member participated in an “All About Me” activity to introduce themselves. The members are excited to see how this year unfolds with the different programs we will doing.

-Justice St. Elementary-

This week marked the first week of the school year which means, the Boys and Girls Club is back at Justice Elementary School! Since it's our first week back, our focus has been centered around fostering strong connections between the coaches and members. Through community-building exercises we've created our agreements for the year to facilitate a cohesive, supporting environment where everyone feels included and confident.

Orientation week

We are excited to be starting our second year at Woodland Hills Elementary School! With the presence of returning members and the introduction of new members, our focus is on further building connections and getting to know each other. This year, we are committed to the goal of having 100 members a day at our site, while continuing our immersive programming to keep the members engaged and creative for the year!

Intro to Site and Site Objectives

Stanley Mosk has been a long-standing site for our summer programming and this year, we are excited to expand our services as an afterschool program for the academic year! Our programming will include Arts & Crafts, Science, Physical Education, and more! We will also highlight our daily homework assistance, "Power Hour", and building confidence, fostering kindness and a community among the members. We look forward to a successful year together full of learning and fun!

Stanley Mosk Elementary Mascot

TEEN CENTER

Welcome to the Boys & Girls Club of Canoga Park High School. This week we are focused on outreach and connecting with students and staff. We ended the week with a listening session which included all grade levels, 8 participants max. As a new coordinator, I was able to receive feedback from the students on their thoughts on programming and what they want to receive from programming for the year. The overall goal is to increase daily attendance and help the Canoga Park High school students thrive as young adults.

Listening Session

Welcome to the Boys and Girls Club of Chatsworth High School, for our first week we focused on our keystone program. During the first meeting, members introduced themselves and personalized their nameplates while mapping out future meeting times and brainstormed ideas for a potential haunted house event. Excitement builds as we work together to develop leadership skills and plan for the fun events ahead!

Keystone

The Boys and Girls Club is here and ready to kick off yet another school year at Cleveland High School! We jumped right in with our student volunteers joining a listening session in which they were encouraged to collaborate with each other, as well as our staff on the NYOI survey results. We came up with ways to best support the club and members for the upcoming year, and to thank them for their time and support, we celebrated with Boba!

Listening Session

We are grateful for our generous and caring community of donors.

Your support makes a meaningful difference for over 3,000 members, and we thank you!

Total Dollars Raised: $274,960.00

Visit our Ways to Give webpage to view the many opportunities that support our programs, services, and operations.

We appreciate donors who make their donations online as it supports our programs more seamlessly.

Consider becoming a volunteer and give 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

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

You can help us reach our goal this month!

• 20 monthly donors at $10 will provide one afternoon of services for one kid every month.
• 20 monthly donors at $25 can help subsidize one kid's transportation to the Clubhouse for one day every month. 
• 5 monthly donors at $42 provide supplies for one class offered to 20 kids every month. 
• 5 monthly donors at $84 provide a STEM kit for one class of 20 kids monthly. 
• 2 monthly donors at $100 provide two youths at the Gary M. Thomas Clubhouse with a full scholarship. 

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

Curious about the latest updates from BGCWV?

Be sure to check our “Media & Stories” page on our website!

Explore exciting news, inspiring articles, and learn about our community impact over the years.

Updated regularly at bgcwv.org/media

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.

Stay Connected!

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.