Research shows that communities play an essential role in preventing and reducing the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the traumatic events and experiences during childhood that can contribute to significant negative health outcomes.
ACEs can affect all children, but at-risk youth are especially vulnerable. In our service area, the prevalence of chronic poverty, hunger, crime, racial injustice, substance abuse, and gang violence creates an unhealthy atmosphere for many of our kids. “Our Boys & Girls Club members already come from some of the most difficult circumstances in the county–in normal times,” says Douglas Eagles, who has been our Executive Director since 2012. “As we become more aware of the impact that the pandemic is having on our kids, we recognize the role we can play to facilitate healing and build resiliency.”
“At the Club, our staff knows to expect that when our members walk through our doors, they are carrying significant burdens.”
While the Club has always been there for Monmouth County families, guaranteeing a safe and nurturing out-of-school environment since 1938, we are consistently striving to increase our impact and meet the needs of those we serve. This is why the Club is committed to becoming a trauma-informed space where children can thrive. We are focusing our programming initiatives on preventing, protecting against, and helping children heal from the effects of trauma through social-emotional learning (SEL), mindfulness, and trauma-informed care.
“At the Club, our staff knows to expect that when our members walk through our doors, they are carrying significant burdens,” continues Mr. Eagles. “It’s why we greet our kids by name, with a warm smile, with genuine interest in how their day has been. There’s a host of unseen issues affecting our kids, and it is imperative that the Club is equipped for that reality.”
In addition to adapting our physical environment, daily routines, our responses, and our protocols to better meet the mental and emotional needs of our children, the Club is taking other steps to help mitigate the effects of trauma on our young people. Mr. Eagles was selected to join the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s national Trauma-Informed Task Force, where he and other youth development executives are formulating organizational standards for Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.
The Club is also a proud member of Asbury Park Healing Together, a collaborative effort among clinicians, educators, parents, local government, and community organizations who are seeking to build a trauma-responsive and trauma-resilient community. In May, the Club is hosting a month-long virtual event, the Hustle for Healing, which will raise awareness and funds for the Club’s trauma-informed care initiatives.
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