hot august nights foundation (coat drive, kohl’s) by belen ... · pdf filedominic...

2
OF TRUCKEE MEADOWS Donald W. Reynolds Facility 2680 East Ninth Street • Reno, NV 89512 Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID RENO, NV PERMIT #83 Mailing services provided by: Donald W. Reynolds Facility 2680 E. Ninth Street, Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437) William N. Pennington Facility 1300 Foster Drive, Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437) Bernice Mathews Elementary School Site 2750 Elementary Dr., Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437) Lois Allen Elementary School Site 5155 McGuffy Road, Sun Valley (775) 673-4188 Fax (775) 331-3677 Rollan Melton Elementary School Site 6575 Archimedes Lane, Reno • (775) 787-5626 Verdi Elementary School Site 250 Bridge Street, Verdi • (775) 762-5972 Bresson Avenue Site 1090 Bresson Ave., Reno • (775) 229-9538 Nancy Gomes Elementary School Site 3870 Limkin, Reno • (775) 229-9539 Neil Road Youth Site 3905 Neil Road, Reno • (775) 828-3940 Donner Springs Elementary School Site 5125 Escuela Way, Reno • (775) 200-8899 Hidden Valley Elementary School Site 2115 Alphabet Drive, Reno • (775) 815-2703 Esther Bennett Elementary School Site 5900 Sidehill Street, Sun Valley• (775) 673-3307 Cottonwood Elementary School Site 925 Farm District Road, Fernley • (775) 360-2475 Fernley Teen Center, Silverland Middle School Site 1100 Jasmine Lane, Fernley • (775) 360-2490 East Valley Elementary School Site 4180 Farm District Road, Fernley • (775) 360-2485 Fernley Intermediate School Site 320 Highway 95 A South, Fernley • (775) 360-2480 e Early Learning Program at the E. L. Wiegand Youth Center 1270 Foster Drive, Reno • (775) 322-9030 e Club at the Donald W. Reynolds Facility 2680 E. Ninth St., Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437) e Club at the William N. Pennington Facility 1300 Foster Drive, Reno • (775) 360-2463 e Club at the Larry D. Johnson Community Center 12th and Oddie Blvd., Sparks • (775) 353-7783 e Club at Hug High South East Entrance, on campus • (775) 324-0234 Joe Mitchell Center, Lemmon Valley 325 Patrician Drive, Reno • (775) 622-0040 Winter 2017 Published Quarterly Club Chronicle A publication of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows Executive Director Letter 1 Contact us 1 Sites and Sounds 2-4 Mark your Calendar 4 ‘Twas the Season for Tweens, Too 5 ank You, ank You 6 Did You Know? 6 Cioppino 2017 6 inside Challenge accepted... The winter has been challenging and exciting and I hope everyone has survived the rain, snow and floods. Some big trials for our area, but at the same time some much needed moisture. I am very proud of our staff for working hard to make sure the kids and teens we serve had a place to go when the schools were forced to close down due to inclement weather. Remember, when schools are out, Clubs are in!! The journey at the Club this past year has also been a bit of a roller coaster ride!! We had many great accomplishments in 2016 and served over 14,000 members in the Reno, Sparks and Fernley areas, but it was also a year of critical self-evaluation and continual self-improvement. We know we have done an excellent job of serving youth in our last 41 years, but we need to be positioned to serve for the next 40 years. Internally, we realized it was time to restructure the organization and put together a new strategic plan for our future: a plan that would give direction to our board and staff as to how the Boys & Girls Club can best serve this and the next generation of children in the Truckee Meadows and the region. The Club spent most of the first half of last year gathering information from funders, donors, board members, staff and community partners to gain a better understanding of how we are viewed in the community and where we may be able to look for opportunities to improve our quality and expand our reach. We came up with a comprehensive plan that will give us direction for years to come. And while there are many levels to the strategic plan, as the New Year begins, we are focused on improving the experience of the children that use our Clubs, retaining quality staff, improving the resources available and continuing to be the voice for all children. Of course, as our focus with staff and children is improving quality, we also continue to search for ways to increase the capacity of existing fundraising strategies. To this end, I am very excited to announce the addition of Ruth Smith to the fundraising team at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. Ruth brings a wealth of knowledge to the organization and will definitely add to our ability to grow existing fundraising strategies with the intent to allow us to strengthen and maintain current operations while positioning ourselves for future growth opportunities. Which brings me to our most current project: the Boys & Girls Club located at 1090 Bresson Avenue. Hopefully, you have been following along as we have slowly brought this once dilapidated property back to life serving kids in a very deserving part of central Reno. While many local individuals and foundations have helped fund this program over the years, most recently, significant funding from the Kelsey Foundation and Renown Foundation gave us an opportunity to reclaim the outside of the building as well as improve the inside of the building to a level that really opened the eyes of the community that this facility really could be saved. So much so that the William N. Pennington has recently become involved and granted our organization the funds necessary to complete the remodeling of the existing footprint of the building. We are currently working with contractors and architects to finalize plans and hope to begin the final phase of the rehab in the next month or so. Exciting news for the Club, the community and the families living in the immediate area. In closing, thank you for continuing to support the kids of Northern Nevada. As you read through this edition of the Club Chronicle, know that your support helps us bring new, exciting and educational opportunities to our kids and teens every day! Appreciatively, Executive Director Mike Wurm Director of Business Operations Rick Stevens Human Resources Director Shauna Douglass Controller Alison Elder Marketing Director Colie McManus Special Events Director Emmy Quinn Grants Director Lauren Soulam Donor Relations Director Ruth Smith Exec. Asst. Kathleen Vanderziel Volunteer Coordinator Nichelle Hull Connect with us! Facebook.com/PositivePlace Twitter.com/PositivePlace Instagram.com/thepositiveplace contact us GENERAL INFO (775) 331-KIDS (5437) BGCTM.org locations board of directors Officers Dan Roberts Board President/CVO Ty Windfeldt First Vice President Dick Gammick Second Vice President Clyyne Cook Treasurer Julie Rowe Secretary Current Board Members Lifetime Board Members Robert Capurro* Nick Webber* Fred Taeubel Emeritus Board Members Chris Aramini* Dan Gaddis Craig Holt* Greg Martinelli* *past presidents Leo Bergin* Dominic Brunetti* Jason Champagne Mike Crawford Jim DeVolld* Steven Duque Kerri Garcia* Jim Grogan Marty Hardie Caesar Ibarra* Kurt Jensen Jim Keller Mary K. Knobel Fran Lepori* Stephanie Lepori Vicky Loose* Tony Marini Marc Markwell* Jim Marren Rob Medeiros* Matthew Mills Alicia Roman Nick Rossi* Scott Schellin Steve Schiller* Lance Semenko* Steve Smith* Charlotte Sullivan Kevin Tappan Par Tolles Twas the Season for Teens, Too By Belen Figueroa, LDJ Teen Coordinator The Annual Teen Christmas Party at Roller Kingdom this year was surely one for the books. You would think the pouring rain would have soured the night, but a last-minute bussing miracle came through to save the night. Members from all of our Teen Centers were able to free skate with all their friends and eat pizza in their fresh new Boys & Girls Club hoodies. Some kids fell, many almost fell, and others crashed into the side rails when they realized braking on roller skates is no piece of cake. The Pennington Teen Center really turned things up when they presented us with delicious snowman truffles made by their Cooking Club. It was a cheerful event for all in attendance, especially the staff who got to witness the coming together of so many teens. Even though we all have different home sites, we were all one teen family that night. You’re never too old to celebrate the holidays! thank you, thank you Employers Insurance also adopted 22 Club kids from DWR and gave $2500 worth of gift cards Reno Police Department Reno & Sparks Fire Departments Washoe County Sheriff’s Department Donations Hot August Nights Foundation (Coat Drive, Kohl’s) Kohl’s (Shopping Spree) NV Chamber The Orion Group Double Edge Crossfit Reno Zulily/Nike Champagne Family Dentistry Nevada Power Community Thanksgiving Jenuane Communities Car Loans, Inc. Franco US Foods Western Nevada Supply Breakfast With Santa One Nevada Credit Union Build-a-Bear (75 Bears) National Guard (Toys) Sigma Nu (over 400 toys) CAN’T CIOPPINO? THEN JUST BID! VISIT BGCTM.ORG TO REGISTER! SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 4:30-6PM º SILENT auction 6:30PM º dinner & live auction Donald w. reynolds facility | 2680 e. ninth st., reno did you know? We served nearly 14,500 youth members in the community in 2016? We served more than 300,000 meals in 2016? It costs $20 a year to become a Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows member? We provided more than 58,000 bus/shuttle rides transporting kids to the Club in 2016? Volunteers

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Page 1: Hot August Nights Foundation (Coat Drive, Kohl’s) By Belen ... · PDF fileDominic Brunetti* Mike Crawford Jim DeVolld* Steven Duque Kerri Garcia* Jim Grogan Caesar Ibarra* ... Franco

OF TRUCKEE MEADOWS

Donald W. Reynolds Facility2680 East Ninth Street • Reno, NV 89512

Address Service Requested

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

RENO, NVPERMIT #83

Mailing services provided by:

Donald W. Reynolds Facility 2680 E. Ninth Street, Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437)

William N. Pennington Facility 1300 Foster Drive, Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437)

Bernice Mathews Elementary School Site 2750 Elementary Dr., Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437)

Lois Allen Elementary School Site 5155 McGuffy Road, Sun Valley

(775) 673-4188 Fax (775) 331-3677

Rollan Melton Elementary School Site 6575 Archimedes Lane, Reno • (775) 787-5626

Verdi Elementary School Site 250 Bridge Street, Verdi • (775) 762-5972

Bresson Avenue Site 1090 Bresson Ave., Reno • (775) 229-9538

Nancy Gomes Elementary School Site 3870 Limkin, Reno • (775) 229-9539

Neil Road Youth Site 3905 Neil Road, Reno • (775) 828-3940

Donner Springs Elementary School Site 5125 Escuela Way, Reno • (775) 200-8899

Hidden Valley Elementary School Site 2115 Alphabet Drive, Reno • (775) 815-2703

Esther Bennett Elementary School Site 5900 Sidehill Street, Sun Valley• (775) 673-3307

Cottonwood Elementary School Site 925 Farm District Road, Fernley • (775) 360-2475

Fernley Teen Center, Silverland Middle School Site 1100 Jasmine Lane, Fernley • (775) 360-2490

East Valley Elementary School Site 4180 Farm District Road, Fernley • (775) 360-2485

Fernley Intermediate School Site 320 Highway 95 A South, Fernley • (775) 360-2480

The Early Learning Program at the E. L. Wiegand Youth Center 1270 Foster Drive, Reno • (775) 322-9030

The Club at the Donald W. Reynolds Facility 2680 E. Ninth St., Reno • (775) 331-KIDS (5437)

The Club at the William N. Pennington Facility 1300 Foster Drive, Reno • (775) 360-2463

The Club at the Larry D. Johnson Community Center 12th and Oddie Blvd., Sparks • (775) 353-7783

The Club at Hug High South East Entrance, on campus • (775) 324-0234

Joe Mitchell Center, Lemmon Valley 325 Patrician Drive, Reno • (775) 622-0040

Winter 2017Published Quarterly

ClubChronicleA publication of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows

Executive Director Letter 1Contact us 1Sites and Sounds 2-4Mark your Calendar 4‘Twas the Season for Tweens, Too 5Thank You, Thank You 6Did You Know? 6Cioppino 2017 6

insideChallenge accepted...The winter has been challenging and exciting and I hope everyone has survived the rain, snow and floods. Some big trials for our area, but at the same time some much needed moisture. I am very proud of our staff for working hard to make sure the kids and teens we serve had a place to go when the schools were forced to close down due to inclement weather. Remember, when schools are out, Clubs are in!!

The journey at the Club this past year has also been a bit of a roller coaster ride!! We had many great accomplishments in 2016 and served over 14,000 members in the Reno, Sparks and Fernley areas, but it was also a year of critical self-evaluation and continual self-improvement. We know we have done an excellent job of serving youth in our last 41 years, but we need to be positioned to serve for the next 40 years. Internally, we realized it was time to restructure the organization and put together a new strategic plan for our future: a plan that would give direction to our board and staff as to how the Boys & Girls Club can best serve this and the next generation of children in the Truckee Meadows and the region.

The Club spent most of the first half of last year gathering information from funders, donors, board members, staff and community partners to gain a better understanding of how we are viewed in the community and where we may be able to look for opportunities to improve our quality and expand our reach. We came up with a comprehensive plan that will give us direction for years to come. And while there are many levels to the strategic plan, as the New Year begins, we are focused on improving the experience of the children that use our Clubs, retaining quality staff, improving the resources available and continuing to be the voice for all children.

Of course, as our focus with staff and children is improving quality, we also continue to search for ways to increase the capacity of existing fundraising strategies. To this end, I am very excited to announce the addition of Ruth Smith to the fundraising team at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. Ruth brings a wealth of knowledge to the organization and will definitely add to our ability to grow existing fundraising strategies with the intent to allow us to strengthen and maintain current operations while positioning ourselves for future growth opportunities.

Which brings me to our most current project: the Boys & Girls Club located at 1090 Bresson Avenue. Hopefully, you have been following along as we have slowly brought this once dilapidated property back to life serving kids in a very deserving part of central Reno. While many local individuals and foundations have helped fund this program over the years, most recently, significant funding from the Kelsey Foundation and Renown Foundation gave us an opportunity to reclaim the outside of the building as well as improve the inside of the building to a level that really opened the eyes of the community that this facility really could be saved. So much so that the William N. Pennington has recently become involved and granted our organization the funds necessary to complete the remodeling of the existing footprint of the building. We are currently working with contractors and architects to finalize plans and hope to begin the final phase of the rehab in the next month or so. Exciting news for the Club, the community and the families living in the immediate area.

In closing, thank you for continuing to support the kids of Northern Nevada. As you read through this edition of the Club Chronicle, know that your support helps us bring new, exciting and educational opportunities to our kids and teens every day!

Appreciatively,

Executive DirectorMike Wurm

Director of BusinessOperationsRick Stevens

Human Resources DirectorShauna Douglass

Controller Alison Elder

Marketing DirectorColie McManus

Special Events DirectorEmmy Quinn

Grants DirectorLauren Soulam

Donor Relations Director Ruth Smith

Exec. Asst.Kathleen Vanderziel

Volunteer CoordinatorNichelle Hull

Connect with us!Facebook.com/PositivePlaceTwitter.com/PositivePlaceInstagram.com/thepositiveplace

contact us GENERAL INFO

(775) 331-KIDS (5437)BGCTM.org

locations

boardof directors

OfficersDan Roberts Board President/CVO

Ty Windfeldt First Vice President

Dick Gammick Second Vice President

Clyyne Cook Treasurer

Julie Rowe Secretary

Current Board Members

Lifetime Board MembersRobert Capurro*Nick Webber*Fred Taeubel

Emeritus Board MembersChris Aramini*

Dan GaddisCraig Holt*

Greg Martinelli*

*past presidents

Leo Bergin*Dominic Brunetti*Jason Champagne

Mike Crawford Jim DeVolld*Steven Duque Kerri Garcia*Jim GroganMarty HardieCaesar Ibarra*Kurt JensenJim Keller

Mary K. KnobelFran Lepori*

Stephanie Lepori

Vicky Loose*Tony Marini

Marc Markwell*Jim Marren

Rob Medeiros* Matthew Mills Alicia RomanNick Rossi*

Scott Schellin Steve Schiller*

Lance Semenko*Steve Smith*

Charlotte Sullivan Kevin Tappan

Par Tolles

‘Twas the Season for Teens, TooBy Belen Figueroa, LDJ Teen Coordinator The Annual Teen Christmas Party at Roller Kingdom this year was surely one for the books. You would think the pouring rain would have soured the night, but a last-minute bussing miracle came through to save the night. Members from all of our Teen Centers were able to free skate with all their friends and eat pizza in their fresh new Boys & Girls Club hoodies. Some kids fell, many almost fell, and others crashed into the side rails when they realized braking on roller skates is no piece of cake. The Pennington Teen Center really turned things up when they presented us with delicious snowman truffles made by their Cooking Club. It was a cheerful event for all in attendance, especially the staff who got to witness the coming together of so many teens. Even though we all have different home sites, we were all one teen family that night. You’re never too old to celebrate the holidays!

thank you,thank you

Employers Insurance also adopted 22 Club kids from DWR and gave $2500 worth of gift cards

Reno Police Department

Reno & Sparks Fire Departments

Washoe County Sheriff ’s Department

DonationsHot August Nights Foundation (Coat Drive, Kohl’s)Kohl’s (Shopping Spree)NV ChamberThe Orion GroupDouble Edge Crossfit RenoZulily/NikeChampagne Family DentistryNevada Power

Community ThanksgivingJenuane CommunitiesCar Loans, Inc.Franco US FoodsWestern Nevada Supply

Breakfast With Santa One Nevada Credit UnionBuild-a-Bear (75 Bears)National Guard (Toys)Sigma Nu (over 400 toys)

CAN’T CIOPPINO?

THEN JUST BID!

VISIT BGCTM.ORG

TO REGISTER!SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

4:30-6PM º SILENT auction6:30PM º dinner & live auction

Donald w. reynolds facility | 2680 e. ninth st., reno

did you know?We served nearly 14,500 youth members in the community in 2016?

We served more than 300,000 meals in 2016?

It costs $20 a year to become a Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows member?

We provided more than 58,000 bus/shuttle rides transporting kids to the Club in 2016?

Volunteers

Page 2: Hot August Nights Foundation (Coat Drive, Kohl’s) By Belen ... · PDF fileDominic Brunetti* Mike Crawford Jim DeVolld* Steven Duque Kerri Garcia* Jim Grogan Caesar Ibarra* ... Franco

Getting Dirty with Urban RootsBy Marquise Daniels-Hatcher, Bresson Ave. Clubhouse

Coordinator

November 3rd was a beautiful sunny day to plant something. Members from the Bresson Site were able to plant garlic in our planters under the guidance of instructors from Urban Roots. While our members were excited to plant the garlic, they also got a chance to learn about gardening. Since the remodel of the Bresson Site gardening area, members have been eagerly awaiting the chance to plant something. As this activity had a meaningful impact with our members, we look forward to continuing this awesome program that will prove benefits to our members.

Celebrating �r100th ye� in2017

Shop Local.Buy Local.

775-323-5163

Call todayfor your printing or

signage needs

mark your calendars

Upcoming events at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows

February 25 37th Annual Jack T. Reviglio

Cioppino Feed & Auction

March 27 - April 1

Boys & Girls Club Week

March 29 Boys & Girls Nite Out

May 2017

Kickoff to Summer

Contact Nichelle Hull, Volunteer Coordinator at

(775) 360-2449 or [email protected] about volunteer

opportunities for any of these great events!

Talkin’ Turkey and Sittin’ with SantaBy Anne Studebaker, Family PLUS

Director

The 13th annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, sponsored by Jenuane Communities, was a great success! With over 1,000 meals served by more than 100 volunteers, community members were able to come and have a turkey dinner with all the fixings! There were coats, flu shots, and family photos available to anyone in attendance. The week following the dinner we hosted our Breakfast with Santa, sponsored by One Nevada Credit Union. The Knights of Columbus were here bright and early cooking up a fantastic pancake breakfast. 750 breakfasts were served in between taking pictures with Santa, making gingerbread houses, and spending quality time with family. Both events were well-attended and lots of fun!

SMART MovesBy Kalani Vaka, Health & Life Skills Coordinator

On January 6, all of the teen members went through the SMART Leaders experience. The SMART Leaders program was designed to be a tool to help our members avoid four of the most immediate threats to their well-being: alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and teen pregnancy. It is a prevention program that exposes our youth and teens to protective factors that promote positive behaviors, health, well-being and personal success. Our teens went through four sessions covering topics such as Teen Pregnancy, Improving Self Image, Resisting Media Pressures, and Being Assertive in Pressure Situations. The next step is to have the teens become peer leaders to our youth members and teach SMART Moves to them!

Love Your Selfie LeadershipBy TaTiana Anderson Hall, Leaders in Training

Coordinator

This Winter Break, 22 teens participated in the overnight “Love Your Selfie 2 Retreat”. After enjoying pizza, wings and fries, the leaders of our Club learned how to lead with positivity through a series of sessions and confidence-building workshops.

Session One was about acknowledging positive attributes. Teens were asked to write positive adjectives about themselves. They then pasted their picture on the sheet and passed it around the group so that others could write nice things about them as well.

In Session Two, teens learned about their own personality traits via a “color test” and also how to work and communicate with someone who is characterized by a different color personality trait. Different personalities were identified by four different colors and our teens were so interested to learn what their own colors meant.

After the confidence workshops, we prepped for our community service project. The LITs put together sock bags and sorted coats for the homeless, leaving notes of positivity and hope in each jacket and bag.

Before heading to bed they enjoyed gym time or watched Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, while eating s’mores and drinking hot chocolate. After the movie everybody played glow-in-the-dark capture the flag.

The next morning, we passed out water, lunches, jackets and sock bags with positive messages tucked

inside to the homeless community. Thank you to all the staff who helped make this a successful

event as well as Pennington and Teen Health Mall for hosting us.

Little Mr. & Miss RobotsBy Dan Pike, Technology Coordinator

We are wrapping up yet another season of robotics here at the Boys & Girls Club. Our second year FIRST Lego League team, KWiK Gearz, sponsored by PC Doctors, competed in the Northern Nevada Qualifier on December 17. This competition tested teamwork and spirit, innovative solutions to real world problems, robot design and strategy, and the robot game challenge. Our team has shown great improvement this year, finishing their season with an honorable mention runner-up for the Judges Award at the event.

Our advanced FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team, Codebusters, sponsored by SNC Corporation, kicked off its rookie year by taking first place during the Northern Nevada Scrimmage match in November, providing momentum going forward and preparing the team for its second competition in Carson city on December 14. Although the team didn’t place as high during the Carson match, they are still qualified to attend the Nevada State competition in Las Vegas on February 4th. The team is now busy preparing by planning a fundraiser at the Club in order to raise money to attend the competition and wrapping up the rest of the projects required.

We are now looking forward to the next advancement of our robotics program by including a Jr FIRST Lego League team. This up-and-coming program for the Boys & Girls Club will offer robotics training for our younger members ages 6-9. So, be on the lookout for this program by Fall 2017. For any information regarding our robotics programming at the Boys & Girls Club please contact Dan Pike, Technology Program Coordinator: [email protected] or (775)360-2405. We currently looking for more mentors and

volunteers for these programs as well.

HelpFrom the North PoleBy Nichelle Hull, Volunteer Coordinator and Kathleen Vanderziel, Executive Assitant and Donor Relations Director

This year, Santa brought in special reinforcements. Normally during the Christmas break the Ninth Street lobby is decked with holly and high school student volunteers who help carry out the annual Holiday Help program. But this season, our members were able to see elves wearing darker uniforms than normal. These helpers were from the Reno Fire Department and the gang unit of the Reno Police Department.

Over ten folks combined from these two departments became a fixture at Ninth Street for the twelve or so days of Christmas. Santa was of course reluctant to let this special force take leave of the workshop when they are much needed to secure the North Pole. However, Mike Wurm and Kathleen Vanderziel were able to pull in an unpaid IOU from old St. Nick and the special deal was brokered.

Over 230 needy families received assistance in the form of gifts and household supplies. 900 individuals were touched by the generosity of local donors to the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. Year after year this giving group of community members will surprise even the veteran staff by the volume, and quality of gifts and the particular thoughtfulness toward the parents of our disadvantaged members. Staff carefully screen families for eligibility, the need is always apparent and therefore

donors can be assured their sincere giving is going to very grateful folks. We are careful to bring new families into the program every year, making a fun Christmas possible for a wider range of people. Shout outs and a big ho, ho, ho to Reno PD and the Reno Fire Department, our staff and families appreciate you very much.

Over 230 families and 900 individuals had a merrier Christmas. Over 130 donors, both individuals and companies, spread holiday cheer by providing gifts, meals, and excitement to families! Thanks to the generosity of many donors in the community nearly all of our members who attended the Christmas party at their site were able to receive a toy to take home as well as a brand new BGCTM sweatshirt!

Becoming ElzaR Cooking Club’s Amazing JourneyBy Adolfo Escalera, Bresson Member

It started out as something for me to do to pass the time, but then it turned into something that maybe one day could be my carrer; I may want to be a cook. Elzar’s Kitchen is the newly created cooking club introduced to the Bresson Site location. Members were taught how to read a recipe, measure the correct ingredients and proper hand washing techniques. Members were divided into groups of five and our first assignment was making chocolate pudding from scratch. My group was excited because none of us even knew how to make pudding. Our next assignment was making chocolate chocolate chip cookies. While every group’s cookies turned out okay…ours turned out delicious. The program ended the baking/cooking segment with a cupcake war in which groups were able to choose a type of cupcake they wanted to make using all of the skills we learned and present them at the Club’s annual Holiday Party. The experience has been fun and I learned a lot about cooking and can’t wait until the next segment

begins.

Bite of RealityBy TaTiana Anderson Hall, Leaders in Training Coordinator

During Winter Break, 72 teen members participated in Greater Nevada Credit Union’s “Bite of Reality.” This event simulated what adulthood means with bills and money-related responsibilities.

Students were provided a profile through an application on their phone or Club-provided tablets. The profile sheet included a career with a monthly salary, a career for their spouse their monthly salary and a picture of their child. Tables were created for various budget scenarios including: child care, clothing and personal care, the credit union, entertainment, groceries and dining, household needs, housing and utilities. Members were asked to visit these tables as part of the budget-balancing simulation.

Teen members then determined their starting monthly income and tracked their spending. They were required to make all necessary purchases as they would in the real world for one month at each table and

then balance their check register. They had to write their own checks; incorrect checks were not accepted and those members were sent to the credit union for further guidance.

Teens were encouraged to deposit money into their retirement account and/or pay extra on their credit card debt. If students did not have enough money to conduct a purchase at each table they were then sent to the credit union for guidance and ultimately had to return purchases that they weren’t able to afford.

Members really enjoyed the event and learning the importance of making and living by a budget. Bite of Reality has helped put spending habits into perspective for teens, many expressed they will manage their money wisely and save as much as possible in the future.

Run for FunBy Kalani Vaka, Health & Life Skills Coordinator

This chilly December, all members warmed up by participating in the SecondAnnual Run for Fun event. The Run for Fun is a great opportunity to formalize active leisure and participation in running and exercising. It creates a fun event for our youth as part of a national effort to improve our member’s health. This event is an ideal opportunity for goal

setting and practice in making healthy lifestyle choices. Through their involvement in the run, our members each exercised for 60 minutes, ate a healthy snack, and learned that running and exercise can be FUN! Our Teen members helped work fitness stations and encouraged the younger members to do their best. Don’t worry, we ran inside to avoid turning the event into Run and Freeze!

Sites

Soundsand

Sites

Soundsand