NEWS / EVENTS

2010 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS WITHIN LA COUNTY

A STUDY OF THE RETURN IN INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH

We already know that the Clubs give kids a safe place to go after school to do homework, socialize and have fun instead of getting into trouble out on the streets, but now we know just how much good your investment in the Clubs is doing!

Over the summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America - Los Angeles County Alliance commissioned a study by Damooei Global Research to measure the social and economic impact the Clubs have on their community.

What they identified was that for every $1 invested by the Clubs, $16.42 worth of positive economic impacts for the community is generated! This is a testament to the vital role the Clubs play in shaping the lives and futures of Club members and their parents.

This comprehensive study measured the Clubs' economic impact in 5 categories:

Conversion

High school graduation rates - Club members are encouraged to stay in school and graduate at a higher rate than the national average. So for every $1 the Club spends on education programs, $3.83 worth of increased earning potential is generated.
Teen pregnancy prevention - Club members are encouraged to make wise decisions and to wait until they are older to have children. This means that every $1 the Clubs spend teaching responsibility results in a savings of $.39 for tax payers.
Crime prevention - The Clubs provide a safe place for kids filled with positive role models. This helps prevent crime in our community and means that for every $1 the Clubs spend to provide a safe environment and keep kids off the streets and out of gangs, tax payers save $1.72.
Assisting parents - The Clubs provide after school and summer care, which means that struggling parents can stay at work and not sacrifice income during these trying economic times. The result: For every $1 the Clubs spend on after school care, parents are able to earn an additional $8.89 to put food on the table.
Volunteers - Unlike day care and other after school programs, the Clubs have limited paid staff and rely heavily on volunteers to care for kids each day. This means that for every $1 the Clubs spends on labor and operations costs, tax payers save $1.59.

On November 2, this groundbreaking study was released to the public at a celebration held on the campus of USC. David Walker, Director of the Boys & Girls Club LA County Alliance said, "This study truly shows how far the Clubs' impact reaches. Not only do the Clubs keep kids off the streets and in school, but they benefit society as well. By making your dollars go farther, the Clubs help make the world a better place. Today's Boys & Girls Clubs members will have an impact on generations to come!"

To read a summary of the economic impact study click here.

To review the full economic impact study click here.

Congratulations Jewels Mesa! The Boys & Girls Club of Whittier’s 2010 Youth of the Year

Boys and Girls Club of Whittier Youth of the Year 2010 Jewels Mesa has been named the 2010 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier. As a freshman at Whittier High School, Jewels maintains a 3.9 GPA and is a member of the water polo team. When she is not at school, practice, or competing in games, Jewels enjoys spending time at the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier, which she lovingly calls her “second home.” A Club member for more that four years, Jewels is an intelligent and ambitious student athlete; she maintains a strong sense of self in everything she does; and her amiable personality, love for learning, and willingness to help others is what continually sets her apart amongst her peers.

It was here at the B.C. McCabe Foundation Teen Center that Jewels joined our Leaders-In-Training program and has volunteered with her fellow teens in more than a dozen community service activities over this past year. Whenever there is a chance to help others, Jewels is among the first to sign up. Whether organizing a toy drive that raises hundreds of toys for children in need, or developing weekly activities for the kids residing at the Salvation Army’s Transitional Living Center, Jewels is always giving of herself for others.

Jewels, as well as 19 other outstanding Boys & Girls Club members, will be honored on May 6, 2010, at our Youth of the Year Dinner at the Radisson Hotel in Whittier. This dinner is one of the most important events in the Whittier community, as it is a time to celebrate the success of our youth as a whole, and for our award recipients it gives them a voice and a path to showcase their personal development. This special time provides our kids with the opportunity to show their Club, their community, their friends, their family and their teachers that they have developed into model citizens.

If you are interested in attending or supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier’s Youth of the Year Dinner, please click here for more information, or click here to register online for the event.

Whittier Chef Serves Up Lessons to Local Kids

WHITTIER - Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier learned recently that pizza doesn't always come in a box - whether frozen or delivered.

As part of the club's continuing efforts to show its members there's more to life beyond sports and video games, they participated in a cooking class.

Chef Hugo Molina, executive chef at Uptown Whittier's Set restaurant, conducted two cooking classes. The first session catered to preteens age 9 through 12, and the second session involved the club's teenagers. The first session catered to preteens age 9 through 12, and the second session involved the club's teenagers.

"It was fun and very cool that we got to meet Chef Molina," said Deanna Hall, 11. "I also loved that he didn't just show us how to make the pizzas, but we were able to learn by doing it ourselves."

WHITWOOD TOWN CENTER JCPENNEY CUSTOMERS “ROUND-UP” FOR BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF WHITTIER

100 Percent of Donations from Recent “Round-Up” Program Benefit Boys & Girls Club of Whittier, the Whittwood Town Center JCPenney Store’s Afterschool Fund Partner

Whittier, California (November 18, 2009) – Thanks to funds raised through a recent “Round-Up” program at the JCPenney at Whittwood Town Center, local children in need will continue to have access to afterschool programming at the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier, the store’s JCPenney Afterschool Fund partner. From August 5-16th, JCPenney customers were invited to “round-up” their JCPenney purchases to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to local afterschool programs that provide at-risk children access to life-enriching activities that inspire children to be smart, strong and socially responsible.