home

On Saturday, May, 3^rd over thirty volunteers spent time lending a hand to the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin. Comcast volunteers, Club board members, staff and other community supporters pulled together for Comcast Cares Day to help sweep and clean up the new Club. The new Clubhouse on 355 Dundee Avenue will open in June to serve over 200 kids per day. Again, thank you to all those who were able to come out!

Club’s Executive Director Wins National Award

Rose Reinert-Allen, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, will be recognized on May 20^th at the Women in Management National Conference! Rose was a recent winner of the Northern Fox Valley Women in Management Woman of Achievement award for her work within the non-profit sector. She was then selected at the national level for a National Women of Achievement, Charlotte Danstrom Award in recognition of her professional accomplishments in the field of non-profit and her outstanding mentorship of women leaders.

4-28-08

Comcast Cares Day- We Need Volunteers

On Saturday, May, 3^rd from 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. we are looking for volunteers to come and spend some time at the NEW Club site. Comcast Cares Day is held annually and invites Comcast employees, as well as community members throughout various communities to work together in completing a project. This year we have been chosen as a project site.

We have a goal of 50 volunteers for that day. Please contact Rose Reinert-Allen, 847-608-5017, ext. 1 or rreinert@foxvalley.netto sign up to help us on this day!

4-7-08

Making Kane County Fit for Kids

The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin joined countless other organizations, governmental entities, school representatives and other concerned stakeholders for the First Annual Making Kane County Fit for Kids Leadership Summit held April 7^th in Geneva. With childhood obesity rates soaring across the country, this epidemic hits close to home. Elgin is currently the fattest city in the State of Illinois! Addressing childhood obesity and improving health of our youth is an important issue to the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin. For over fourteen years, the Club has offered a variety of health and recreation programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity. The addition of a gymnasium in the new facility will also allow for the Club to keep kids active each day, as well as provide additional healthy eating programs with Club kids and their families.

Youth of the Year Travels to Springfield

This week, Youth of the Year “Cici” Cantor will travel down to Springfield to participate in the state Youth of the Year competition. Cici will join over twenty other youth from Clubs across the state to take part in this competition. Local Youth of the Year winners prepared an application which highlighted their work in a variety of areas including school, family, community and the Club, as well as two essays. Cici’s trip will also include a visit to the capital and a special Legislative Breakfast with local legislators including Senator Michael Noland and Representative Ruth Munson, in which she can discuss the impact the Club’s programs have had on her life.

3/31/08

From Club Member to Staff Member

Past Club member, Deon Ash was highlighted in the Courier News on Sunday. Deon became a Club member at age fourteen and now, at nineteen, works as a Program Assistant at the Clubhouse. Read more about the impact that the Club has had on his life and how he is now paying that forward to current Club members.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/progress/858262,3_7_1_EL30_DEONASH_S1.article

Youth of the Year Award Renamed for EHS Alumna

This past January, the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin announced this year’s Youth of the Year, Cici Cantor. Along with this announcement, the Club also announced the renaming of the award to recognize the late Marisa Martinez. Read more about Marisa and Cici in the article that was featured in The Courier News on Sunday.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/progress/858259,3_7_1_EL30_CICI_S1.article

New Club Building Up

The construction of the new 15,000 square foot facility is nearing completion scheduled to open in June of this year. This building is more than just bricks and mortar, it signifies much more to the young people that currently attend and that will attend in the future. Read an update on the building progress that was featured in the Courier News on Sunday.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/progress/858326,3_7_1_EL30_BOYSGIRLS_S1.article

Youth of the Year Passes the Torch

Check out this feature article about the 2007 Youth of the Year Vanessa Deleon that was featured in the Courier News this Sunday.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/progress/858281,3_7_1_EL30_DELEON_S1.article

3/24/08

Party in the Name of the Club

This past week, Club volunteer and accountant, Nancy Guthrie hosted a Professional Series event at Village Pizza and Pub. This event raised over $3,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin! The Professional Series is a special fundraising approach that challenges individuals to host a party on behalf of the Club, and invite their friends, colleagues and other guests with the simple request that they make a donation to the Club. We have also held an event with volunteer and area lawyer, Kevin McCarter for the past three years. If you would like to brainstorm with staff on how to host your own event, please contact Alan Brostoff at 847-608-5017, ext. 3.

Club Volunteer Wins Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce Award

The Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce awarded Gilmore Marketing Concepts as the EAC's Small Business of the Year on Friday, March 14th at their Annual Awards Luncheon. The Small Business of the Year award is given to one company per year with 20 employees or fewer, who is a Chamber member, and who's business contribution the Chamber deserves recognition. Gilmore Marketing Concepts owner, Kim Gilmore has worked with the Club for several years and provided endless support, creativity and time to the success of the Club’s annual Duck Race and the marketing committee. Congratulations Kim!

GE Capital Solutions Presents Club with Check

In 2007, GE Capital Solutions, headquartered in Hoffman Estates, has brought its unique community outreach program, called In the Community, For the Community (ICFC), to Northern Illinois, partnering with The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin. GE experts spent several days with Club staff introducing them to various techniques around continuous process improvement, including process mapping of their enrollment process and membership tracking. GE representatives presented the Club with a check for $25,000 to help support the “Building our Future” Capital Campaign. Thank you GE!

Club Staff poses with CEO, Bob Martin, and GE staff Kim Smith, Sherry Woody,

Woody Green and Clarence Nunn

3/18/08

Board Member Honored

The Quad County Urban League will hold its Annual Meeting & Equal Opportunity Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 10^th. This event will recognize several individuals from the community for their commitment to service. Our own, Velma Sept, will be honored with the Outstanding Community Service Award for her involvement in countless agencies and organizations. Congratulations to her for all of the work that she does and all of the lives she influences.

2/25/08

NJHS Visits Sears through African American Network

The African American Network at Sears Holding hosted a group of members from the National Junior Honor Society program run through the Boys & Girls Club at Ellis Middle School site. Members took part in a day filled with job shadowing and discussions of careers. This was a special event planned in part to celebrate Black History Month as well. A special thank you to the members of the African American Network!

2/18/08

Member Wins Regional Movie Tech Award

Our Club members take part in Digital Arts programs through out the year and compete against other Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the nation. The theme for this year’s Digital Arts Club Tech program is "Our Changing World." The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin's own Noah produced and directed this PSA to raise awareness about the harmful affects of Cyber Bullying. This PSA competed and won in the Midwest Regional Contest and is currently competing nationally against other Boys & Girls Clubs.

Homework Helpers Program Kicks Off

The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin is in need of volunteers anytime between 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at all of its sites to assist with homework during the POWER Hour homework program. Each day there are close to 80 youth who are finishing homework during the POWER Hour program. In order to ensure that members receive the necessary attention, we need more volunteers. To get more information about becoming a volunteer, please contact, Keavy Dixson at 847-608-5017, ext 2. or kdixson@foxvalley.net

Need additional services?

The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin is a proud member of the United Way of Elgin. If you are in need of additional social services, please go to the United Way website and view the services provided by other member agencies.