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The Club Connection - January 2021
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| Family Support Program Relaunching |
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In spring 2020, we launched our Family Support Program (FSP) to meet the needs of Club families facing food insecurities. It was a two-part program that provided families with dinner kits that included healthy meal options, along with a gift card to Stop & Shop to purchase other household essentials. The second component to FSP were ‘Family Fun Kits’ which were filled with items surrounding language arts, exercise equipment, arts and crafts, and a family board game. Based on the need expressed by many Club families, we have committed to relaunching FSP to help our community during these difficult times. The goal of this updated program is to assist Club families twice a month with food, household and personal care items, and connect them to community resources. We plan to relaunch our Family Support Program in mid-February. Please follow us on our social media accounts to stay up to date with the program launch. To learn more, please email Cherima Folston at cfolston@bgcpawt.org. |
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| It's That Time of Year Again! |
We are gearing up for our annual Shark-a-Thon event- keeping safety front of mind. The Shark-a-Thon is the Sharks Swim Team’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Swimmers collect pledges from family and friends leading up to the event, and with each pledge collected, the swimmer commits to completing as many laps as possible within the hour timeframe. While the spirit of the Shark-a-Thon will be the same- encouraging our athletes to reach new records and practice their skills in the pool- the actual event will look a little different amidst the pandemic. This year it will be a two-day event streamed on Facebook live, with small group sizes and limited participants per lane to meet all current safety guidelines. Are you interested in making a pledge? A donation to support our Sharks Swim Team would help us keep our registration fee low and help keep swimmers in the pool. Each dollar raised will go towards a participant’s swim cap, team swimsuit, coaching, practice sessions, and increased cleaning/sanitation costs. Are you in? Please visit our website here to make your donation. During check out, Please be sure to enter, ‘Shark-a-Thon’ in the Order Note and the section labeled, “The purpose of my gift is..” before you confirm your order to ensure your funds go towards a swimmer’s pledge.Don’t forget to visit our Facebook page throughout the month of February to learn why our swimmers love being a Shark and to watch the Shark-a-Thon event live on February 24th and 25th! See you there! |
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Staff Spotlight |
Shirley M.
Director of Pre-Teen Programs
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Shirley has been an essential member of our team for the past 17 years. She has held a few different roles during her time with the Club and was even a Club kid starting at the young age of nine. Shirley says that she remembers creating lasting relationships with staff who truly cared for her and fellow members, these positive interactions are ultimately what inspired her to pursue a career in youth development. Currently, Shirley is the Director of Pre-Teen Programs. Despite the many restrictions she is faced with due to the pandemic, Shirley continues to ensure that all of her members are happy, engaged, and having fun throughout their day at the Club. Every day Shirley comes in with a smile and creates wonderful connections with all of our members. In her own words, “my personal mission has and always will be to make sure all of our members are safe and have fun while at the Club - I want them to love the Club the way that I do.” Thank you for everything that you do, we are truly lucky to have you a part of our team!
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| Keeping Pawtucket Warm This Winter Season |
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Over the last few months we have been preparing for our Winter Drive, working with community partners to collect new and gently used winter items. This month we began to identify and distribute items to our Club community. We have been able to support 22 families and counting, and look forward to continuing to serve families who are in need of cold weather items. A huge thanks to all of our community partners and donors who helped us keep our members and families warm during the winter months! If you are a Club family in need of winter gear, please email Linsey Covington at lcovington@bgcpawt.org to learn more about available resources and to reserve items. |
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| Member of the Month |
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Zach C.
Zach has been on the Shark’s Swim Team for 7 years now and has continued to grow during each season. Coaches have noted that Zach has improved his endurance along with all of his strokes. Not only has he performed well at practice, but he has also been a great role model to the younger swimmers. He helps them improve their diving skills by giving them tips and demonstrating how to properly dive. Throughout the swim season, Zach has shown a positive attitude and has been putting his best efforts towards his work. Thanks for being a great team player, Zach!
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IGT Grant
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Support for Club Technology
We extend our gratitude to our friends at IGT for their $15,000 grant to support updates to our Pre-Teen Computer Lab! Funding from IGT will allow us to purchase brand new computers for our members to use, along with printers and equipment to ensure our lab is easily accessible for all of our members. This technology update will significantly improve our programming, including STEAM, Homework Help, and education activities in general. Prior to the pandemic, Computer Class was one of the most popular activities at the Club. With so many of our members relying on technology more than ever before and all of their learning being completed online, this new space will help our youth thrive in all areas including excelling in their distance learning and staying connected with their peers. Thank you, IGT!
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These are just a few of the exciting things that happened this month at the
Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket!
To keep up-to-date with all of our programs and activities, please follow us on social media.
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