Boys & Girls Club of Manchester

The Boys & Girls Club of Manchester was incorporated in 1907 as a private, non-profit agency serving youth from 6 to 18 years of age. As one of the fifty three original Boys & Girls Clubs chartered by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Manchester Club most recently was awarded the 2014 Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Merit Award for Program Excellence. The Club seeks to reach out to all youth, especially to those most in need, providing programs and services that inspire and enable members to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring individuals. The Club's core belief is that by providing children a safe place to learn and grow through ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals, life enhancing programs and character developing experiences, hope and opportunity will flourish in children. Since 1938, the Boys & Girls Club has received financial support from the community through the Community Chest, now known as the Granite United Way. Beginning in 2016, however, this source of grant support will not be available. Other funding sources include individual gifts, endowment interest, rental of facilities, public support, grants, special events and membership/program fees. During the 2014-15 school year the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester recorded 2,110 members 6 through 18 years of age. Over 600 members attended one of the Clubs' three sites during the school year. The majority of children served live within the Manchester community. A program staff of 12 full-time youth development professionals work directly with the youngsters at its' inner-city facilities located at 555 Union Street (Grades 3 – 12) and as well as our after school programs located at Highland Goffe's Falls School and Jewett Street School. Use of part-time staff and program volunteers allow the Club to offer a wide range of programs on a daily basis. Our after school sites operate Monday through Friday until 6:00 PM. The Union Street Clubhouse is open from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Thursday and 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Fridays. Members participate in the following program areas: two games rooms including pool tables, table soccer, rocket hockey, bumper pool; a gymnasium, fine arts and crafts room, library, teaching kitchen and cafeteria area, learning center, performing arts center, computer labs including 16 work stations, teen center, guidance office. Program opportunities include: games room tournaments, homework help, computer instruction, athletic leagues and instruction; conflict resolution education; peer pressure resistance training; radio broadcasting; arts & crafts, African Drumming and Dance, fine arts, performing arts, group leadership Clubs and a wide range of special activities. During the summer months, the Club operates the Camp Foster summer day camp for 400 campers 6 to 13 years of age. The Boys & Girls Club is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community and business leaders who volunteer their time and talent to fulfill the mission of the Boys & Girls Club. The Board meets monthly to review all aspects of organizational operation and is responsible for the financial integrity of the agency. The current operating budget is $2,294,499, generated through a range of resource development strategies. Individual giving, cultivation and stewardship of donors and prospective donors is of the highest priority for the board members, who achieve 100% participation in providing personal financial support for the Club. Core programs are divided into five areas. Character and Leadership Development empowers youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain relationships with others, develop a positive self-image and respect their own and others' cultural identities. Our Keystone Club, Torch Club and Gemstones are leadership groups who embody these goals through volunteer in the community and the Boys & Girls Club. Education and Career Development programs enable youth to become proficient in educational disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations and embrace technology. The Power Hour Program, Homework Helpers, Radio 88.3 FM and computer club are examples of programs that encourage education and career development. Health and Life Skills, The Arts, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation are three areas that develop capacity to engage in positive behaviors, develop cultural awareness, an appreciation of the visual and performing arts and encourage the positive use of leisure time. Smart Moves Primary Prevention Program, intramural leagues, traveling teams, arts and craft projects, performing and visual arts, the Youth of the Month and Youth of the Year are programs that develop life skills. Collaborative efforts with other youth serving entities play a key role in youth development at the Boys & Girls Club. The New Hampshire Institute of Art, The Currier Gallery of Art, Southern New Hampshire University, St. Anselm College, Manchester Community College and the UPS Road Code Program are examples of community resources supporting the character and leadership development of Boys & Girls Club members. Children develop a positive self-identity, a sense of competency and values of honesty, respect and fairness through their experiences at the Boys & Girls Club. These skills will lead them to become productive, responsible and caring adults. We offer programs like Triple Play that exercise the body, mind and soul; nutritional cooking classes; athletic programs and exercise clubs. Our teens reported that 51% engaged in physical activities 5 or more days per week. In addition, we serve breakfast each morning to members in our before school and summer camp programs; we offer snacks after school and we serve dinner each night. Last year, we served 29,696 dinners and 10,873 breakfasts for an average of 172 meals per day! Leadership programs like Keystone for our teens, Torch Club for middle school and Gemstones for our younger kids provide opportunities for Club members to be responsible and motivated to help others. Club members are involved in planning and implementing community service projects...learning how to become GREAT community leaders and teammates! 89% of Club members surveyed stated that they felt a sense of belonging at the Club. 82% of Club members reported skipping zero days of school, compared to 73% of other Club members surveyed nationally. 98% of BGCM teens abstained from cigarette use; 87% of BGCM teens abstained from drinking; and 96% of BGCM teens abstained from marijuana use. Instead our members are participating in community engagement activities such as neighborhood clean-up eff orts, cancer walks, blood drives and food drives. Our members believe in their future! Each day after school we encourage members to finish their homework, we offer homework help and tutoring, and we check report cards to track progress and identify problem areas. 96% of our members meet the expected grade level for their age. During the 2013-2014 program year, 691 Club members received help with their homework over the course of the school year, totaling 13,072 visits to the learning center with a total of 20,751 hours of educational support by Club staff and volunteer tutors. This represents 99% of members who attended the Club at least two or more times per week! Our vison for the future is a Boys & Girls Club working collaboratively in the community to impact the youth population in a positive way. We will accomplish this goal by constantly reaching out to bring individuals who have not heard our story into the Boys & Girls Club to learn about the challenges facing out youthful population and the impact our youth development strategies have on the children and teens we serve. We will accomplish this goal by recruiting energetic board members with a passion for helping youth grow in a positive way. We will accomplish this goal by continually seeking the best operational practices, ensuring the Boys & Girls Club operates with transparency and integrity.