Your Clubs
SPRING
2021 OF NORTHEAST OHIO
Stories about the kids and families you have helped.
OF NORTHEAST OHIO
You helped kids succeed in tough times When she heard the news, Keniyah, 11, was not happy.
OF NORTHEAST OHIO
OF NORTHEAST OHIO
OF NORTHEAST OHIO
Her school – closed all spring because of the pandemic – would not reopen in the fall. She and her classmates would begin the school year learning virtually rather than from face-toface instruction. “I was angry,” Keniyah says. “I like going to my school. I like seeing my teachers and friends in person.” She could not have known that generous people like you were already working to help her and other kids succeed in these difficult circumstances. You stepped up to help Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio open 16 ClubSmart Learning Centers, places where kids in virtual-only education environments could receive in-person help, high-speed internet access and the use of computers. These Clubs were open during the school day, helping kids and working families.
divide,” says Jeff Scott, BGCNEO’s president and CEO. “There is no way we could have done this without our supporters.” At first, Keniyah was lukewarm about the idea of going to her Club for school. But once she realized she was in a place where she could develop a study routine and still see her friends, she thrived. Today, she is getting all As and Bs in her classes.
And thanks to you, this pivot in operations was done in a 45-day period.
“I go to class on time, do all my work and pay attention in class,” she says. “And there is someone there to help me if I don’t understand something.”
“We knew we had to act in the interest of our kids, many of whom are harmed by the digital
Will she be happy to get back to the classroom? “Very,” she says, smiling.