J.C. Penney Afterschool Fund Awards Grant
The J.C. Penney Afterschool Fund is awarding grants to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, to increase access for youth currently without access – or on the verge of losing access – to after school programs due to a lack of financial resources. Recent studies show that 14.3 million children in the U.S. are unsupervised between the hours and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. These grants will allow children, who could otherwise be at risk for destructive behavior, access to safe, enriching and educational after school programs. Funds from the grants will cover the expense of attending a Club, including staff supervision by full-time, trained youth development professionals; exposure to tried and proven programs; access to community service initiatives; transportation; snacks; and time spent in a safe, “up-to-codeâ€, youth-centric building. Boys & Girls Clubs of America has received funding and support from the J.C. Penney Afterschool Fund for several years. High-quality after school programs keep children safe and produce life-changing, lasting benefits, including healthier lifestyles, improved social skills and enhanced academic performance. In its continuing effort to ensure that every child in America has access to quality after-school programs, the J.C. Penney Afterschool Fund has awarded over $4 million to the national office of Boys & Girls Clubs of America this year.
November Program Highlights
The month of November will bring with it special events in all core program areas. In our Aquatics program the Marr-lin Swim Team will travel to the Arlington Club (11/6), follow that up with a home meet against the Taunton Club (11/14) before hosting their Annual Swim-a-thon fundraiser (11/21). In our Education program the next 6-week session of Pico Crickets, an engineering and design instruction program will begin on 11/6 and we will host a College Tour on 11/13 to U-Mass Amherst, Springfield College and W.N.E.C. In our Social Recreation program there will be a trips to the Movies (11/12) for the Girls Group and Laser Zone (11/19) for Juniors as well as our Fall Festival activities (11/23 to 11/25). At our Denney Center Unit located in Harbor Point there will be trips to the Movies (11/6), the Patriots Game (11/8) and the Movies (11/13). On-site events will include the Munch & Mingle (11/18), Parents Forum (11/20) and our two leadership groups, the Torch Club and Keystone Club will begin new service projects. The Torch Club will be hosting a Canned Goods drive while the Keystone Club will begin a monthly service project with residents at the Boston Home. In the Athletic program the 18-team Intramural Floor Hockey program, as well as the 8-team Intramural Flag Football program will continue to meet weekly while our two All-Star Floor Hockey teams will continue home and away games against Clubs in the region. In our Arts program our Fall Fine Arts classes will continue to meet weekly while the Music program will host a Grand Opening celebration of the new Music Clubhouse on 11/5. In our Kids Café program look for afternoon meals weeknights at 5:00 for pre-registered members. Finally, in our Teen program we will be taking trips to an Open Mic night at the West End House Club (11/6) and to the Wheelock Family Theater (11/20). Other events include the start of the B.Y.F. Career Prep Jobs program (11/9) and a Thanksgiving Dinner (11/24). For more information on any of the programs mentioned please contact VP of Programming, Mike Joyce at ext. 2110.
Kids Café Thanksgiving Dinner
The Kids Café program at the Club, which is run in partnership with The Greater Boston Food Bank, will host its 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday, November 13th. The dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. and take place in the After-School Childcare Room. The Dinner is open to all members registered for the Kids Café program and their parents. On November 20th, our Denney Center Unit located in Harbor Point will host their Dinner for Club members and families. The Kids Café program allows members ages 6 to 12 the opportunity to receive a hot, nutritious meal five nights a week at 5:00 p.m. Parents interested in registering their children must fill out a program application which are available at the reception desk of all three of our sites. For information on the upcoming Thanksgiving Dinners, please contact Kids Café Coordinator, Dale Foster at 617- 288-7120, ext. 2130.
