Spring 2023 Newsletter

GREAT NEWS FOR GREAT FUTURES

Great Futures Have Started Here for 85 Years

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County (BGCM) is celebrating its 85th anniversary, and to commemorate our founding we have several events planned throughout the year focused on service and community. In the spring of 1938, Isaiah Matlack, chairman of the Asbury Park Kiwanis Club’s boys and girls program committee recommended to the board of directors that they explore the possibility of establishing a “Boys Club” in Asbury Park. Originally located on Main Street, the Club opened its current Monroe Avenue location in July of 1952. In the 85 years since its founding, BGCM has become the county’s most trusted youth development organization, serving more than 1,100 children and teens annually at four sites across Monmouth County. “While the needs of our community have changed over the last 85 years, our commitment to our young people has not,” says Douglas Eagles, Chief Executive Officer of BGCM. “Kids need the stability and security of the Club now more than at any other time in their lives, and we are doing whatever it takes to meet this need.” Adds Ollie Jones, who grew up in the Asbury Park Boys Club and has served on its board of directors for over 40 years: “Being a member of the Club is the best experience for so many of our young people, including my own children. May our Club continue to be ever upward and ever onward!” (Check out our board spotlight inside to learn more about Ollie!)

Meeting the emotional, academic, physical, and developmental needs of the young people in our community is paramount, which is why the Club is open every weekday during the critical after-school hours in Asbury Park, Red Bank, Neptune, and Long Branch, providing life-skills classes, mentorship, socialemotional learning, nutritious meals, college and career prep, and more. We also offer an 8-week full-day summer camp. We unveiled our special anniversary logo earlier this year, created by Corinne Karl Design in Shrewsbury, and we will be commemorating the 85 years of service in several ways throughout the year. “85 Acts of Kindness” is an initiative where Club staff, teens, and board members will engage in 85 acts that give back to the community to express appreciation for the people we serve. The Club will also be launching the “Give Back 85” volunteer campaign, encouraging community members to give “85” to the Club—minutes a week or hours a year. To find out how you can get involved in either of these campaigns, please reach out at info@bgcmonmouth.org.

The Club is grateful to be part of this wonderful community for 85 years!

Club members Kamauri and Kamauni making sandwiches for the Jersey Shore Rescue Mission, one of the “85 Acts of Kindness.”

Javon Pearsall

Javon Pearsall, 23, is a Youth Development Professional at our newest Club site at the Bucky James Community Center in Long Branch. He plays a critical role in keeping our programming on track, supporting and training new staff members, and engaging with our members, ensuring they are having a positive out-of-school time experience.

But before he became a key member of our team, Javon was a Club member, signing up at our Asbury Park Clubhouse when he was 8 years old. Like a lot of our members, Javon’s favorite activity at the Club was swimming in the pool. But he also took full advantage of our leadership development programs, like Youth of the Year, where he discovered his interests and talents and created a vision for his future. He remembers the caring guidance and support he received from his favorite staff member, Mr. Aaron, whom he describes as a father figure. Now, Javon takes pride in being able to nurture the next generation, just like his mentor. “What I like most about working at the Club is being able to have a positive impact on the kids we serve…being able to be a positive role model for them.”

The Club members look up to Javon, and they know that he is there to listen to and support them in whatever way he can. Javon is intentional about the games and activities he plans for the after-school hours, keeping the members engaged in “fun with a purpose” programs.

He thinks the Club members see him as fun and fair, two traits they value a lot.

“I want to be remembered at the Club for being a great leader and role model,” says Javon. “I want to leave a positive impact on this community’s kids.”

Ready for Impact!

We are beyond thrilled that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County has been awarded a generous grant from Impact 100 Jersey Coast, which will fund a collaboration with our long-time supporter and restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach and Food for Thought by the Sea. It is exciting to bring our combined expertise in youth development, food service, and hospitality to provide a youth workforce development program centered around soft-skills training, financial literacy education, social emotional skill-building, and entrepreneurship. Thank you to Impact 100 Jersey Coast for investing in our community’s young people and empowering us to equip them with the critically important skill sets they will need to thrive in the workforce, and in life.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s leadership recognition program, Youth of the Year, is designed to make Club members aware of leadership abilities they might not think they possess and cultivate those skills so that they learn what it means to be a leader. Each year, the Club member who exhibits exceptional leadership skills in areas such as communication, goal-setting, and teamwork is selected as Youth of the Year, serving as an ambassador for Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County’s youth. This program honors the most inspiring Club teens who embody the values of service, academic excellence, and healthy lifestyles. We are pleased to announce that Tyrah W. has achieved the title of BGCM’s Youth of the Year.

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

“Mr. Boys Club” Ollie Jones

Tyrah is a sophomore in high school and has been coming to the Club for two years. She credits the Club with helping her develop self-confidence, adding that it has ignited a passion for a career in education.

As the Monmouth County Youth of the Year, Tyrah will advance to the state competition held at Montclair State University, which is the culmination of many months of training and preparation.

Congratulations, Tyrah, on all of your hard work. We wish you the best of luck!

A Most Unusual Evening 2022

Supporters Boogie Down for the Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County once again hosted the party of the year with our annual signature fundraiser, “A Most Unusual Evening,” last fall at Asbury Lanes. Over 250 guests wore their funkiest 70s fashions and hit the dance floor to embrace the“Saturday Night Fever” theme. The evening featured entertainment by EBE Talent, including a DJ, live drummer, and professional disco dancers, as well as auctions and raffles, an open bar, and fantastic food. A Most Unusual Evening is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Club, and the proceeds of the event cover the cost of over 100 Club memberships for Monmouth County children.

“An annual Boys & Girls Club membership costs us $1300 per child, but we charge our families much less—as little as $20 a year in Asbury Park,” said Douglas Eagles, Executive Director of BGCM. “This is why events like A Most Unusual Evening are so important. Our wonderful supporters help us to close that gap so we can keep membership affordable for our families.”

A Club membership provides children with a broad range of activities and services, including homework help, mentoring, sports and recreation programs, arts programs, access to computers and technology, service and leadership clubs, and much more. BGCM serves over 1100 children annually at its sites in Asbury Park, Neptune, Long Branch, and Red Bank.

Letter from Our CEO

Truly a man who needs no introduction, we are proud to highlight Ollie Jones in this edition of the board spotlight. As the longest-serving member of our board of directors, and a former Club member as well, Ollie has BGCM in his DNA. He’s an advocate, trailblazer, and leader, as well as a father, grandfather, volunteer, and friend to all who know him.

When Ollie first joined the Boys Club of Asbury Park in September of 1952, the annual membership fee was 50 cents. The Monroe Ave Clubhouse was just a fraction of its current 28,000-square-foot structure, but there was no shortage of activities for Ollie and his friends to participate in. He played in the drum corps, sang in the glee club, and performed in the Boys Club Review, a talent show held every spring as a fundraiser for the organization.

During that time, Ollie was asked to join the Boys & Girls Club’s board of directors at the recommendation of Executive Director, Alex Groppe. In his 40+ years of board membership, Ollie has served in many capacities, including board president, as well as several subcommittee assignments. When asked what the Club means to him, his answer is simple: “Lifelong membership.” For Ollie, the Club has forged friendships that have spanned decades. “It brought so many guys from different walks of life together,” he adds. “We still call each other by our Club nicknames.You know, when visit the different Clubs and I see the kids smiling… it takes me back to when I was a kid, and hope that they gain as much as I did.”

It makes perfect sense that Ollie has earned the nickname “Mr. Boys Club.” This fall, we will be honoring Ollie and his lifetime of service to the Club at our annual fundraiser. We appreciate everything you do for the Club, Ollie!

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

—Franklin Delano Roosevelt

As a father of two, thinking about the future is a big part of my daily life. Am preparing my sons to meet the challenges the world will inevitably throw at them? What are the opportunities want them to seek out that will allow them to make an impact on their community? Will they make choices that result in a meaningful and fulfilling life? What kind of experiences can as a father create for them that will give them a sense of security and safety so that they can thrive into adulthood?

My thoughts are no different as the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club. I know that the time we have with our members is a precious opportunity to equip them for success in life. Every day, our team is creating an environment for Monmouth County kids—some of whom come from pretty tough situations—to pause, take time to consider who they are and who they’d like to be, and discover a path to a future they might never have envisioned for themselves, or even thought was possible. Jada, one of our Club members, said it best: “Here at the Club can learn without people rushing or judging me.”

For 85 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County has seen countless individuals develop the skills and confidence they need to navigate the challenges of adolescence and emerge as successful, responsible, and caring adults. Our Club has produced entrepreneurs, teachers, community leaders, and even a world-renowned oncologist. am proud of the legacy we have created and am excited to build on our decades of success.

Thank you for being part of the Club’s story!

Lead sponsors of the fundraiser were iStar, Crum & Forster, and Nancy Karpf. The event committee, co-chaired by Sharon Mattingly and Denise Colford, was Joe Baumann, Liza Bradburn, Ray Brush, Larkin Cohan, Katharine Gibson, Tracy Hagger, Jamie Hayes, Lisi Klus, Michele McGlyn, Jennifer Pedersen, Jack Ryan, Nancy Ryan, Christina Torres, and Samantha Weiner.

Planning is well underway for the 2023 event, which will be held on Friday the 13th of October at Wave Resort in Long Branch.

Invitations will be hitting mailboxes soon, and with this year’s theme being “Dressed to Thrill,” it is guaranteed to leave you breathless. Whether you attend in costume or couture, haunting or haute—however you choose to be, be thrilling!

After graduating from Asbury Park High School, Ollie took a janitorial position at NJ Bell at the age of 19, and thus began a career with the company that would lead him to everincreasing achievements. Ollie holds the distinction of being the first African American male from Monmouth or Ocean County to be hired by NJ Bell, as well as the first African American lineman in the company’s history. From 19681970, Ollie was in active duty with the Navy, serving on the presidential command ship. Upon his return, he continued to rise through the ranks at NJ Bell, from lineman to splicer to management, finally retiring in 1994 as Division Manager.

Thank you to...

Monmouth Cares, Inc. and the New Jersey Children’s System of Care for the Community for providing a resource development grant that helped us put a trauma-informed care model in place throughout our organization.

The grant supported staff training, social-emotional programming, social work internships, and the supplies for the Club’s “Chill Zone,” a dedicated space for wellness and mindfulness.

OceanFirst Foundation for supporting the Club with summer camp and general operating grants that focus on youth development. Their grants provided scholarships for 40 students during the summer and helped fund our expansion into Long Branch.

Cruz Family Foundation for helping us build better futures for teens in Monmouth County. The foundation is one of the primary funders for Project L.E.A.D. (Learning, Earning, and Advancing Dreams), which helps young people develop workforce skills through mentorship, employment, and educational achievement.

Doug Eagles Chief Executive Officer

Run with Team BGCM

Join a group of runners dedicated to using their favorite sport to better the lives of the kids in our Clubs.

We are THRILLED to announce that this year we will be partnering with the most iconic race on the shore, the Asbury Park Sheehan Classic 5K.

When you run the Sheehan Classic 5K for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, YOU race & kids WIN.

“Here at the Club I can learn without people rushing or judging me.” —Jada, Club Member