Douglas Eagles, pictured above in the Club’s recently renovated gym in Asbury Park.
This April marks my 10-year anniversary as Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County. To say that a lot has changed since my first day would be a tremendous understatement. I could write for ages about the transformations I have witnessed over the years—the thousands of kids who have grown up inside the Club, the community collaborations we’ve developed, the programs we’ve expanded, and the sites we’ve launched. But instead, I want to tell you about my favorite aspect of the Club, and it’s my favorite precisely because it HASN’T changed. And that thing is consistency.
The Boys & Girls Club is the only facility-based nonprofit in Monmouth County dedicated exclusively to youth development. It is all we do. Being so singularly focused gives us the latitude to focus on deep change in the lives of the kids we work with. Our program model isn’t about seeing a kid once a week; it is day in and day out, for months and years. That kind of consistency requires a lot from our staff, which is why every member of our team is professionally trained in youth development. We know that our young people count on us…to ask about their day at school, to watch them play in their big game on Friday night, to help them with their homework, or to simply greet them by name when they walk through our blue doors.
We are building a community with our Club members that invites them to explore their interests in a safe and affirming environment. That kind of stability and consistency allows them to open up about their life stories and the challenges they may be struggling with, giving our staff the opportunity to come alongside and guide them.
When I walked through the doors on my first day, there was an old sign hanging above me that read “The Positive Place for Kids.” That sign has since been taken down and replaced—just one more example of transformation over time—but the message is as true today as it was in 1938 when we opened in Asbury Park. The Club is the positive place for kids, providing pathways to healthy and vibrant futures. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Thank you for being part of our history,
Doug
Continue Reading
