THANKUARY 2025
YOUR clubs
Stories about the kids and families you have helped your impact
Club environment helps teen blossom
It takes more than words to earn Neviah’s trust.
That’s because the 14-yearold Lorain girl used to be bullied. The taunts hurt. But when Neviah joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio’s Desich Family Campus, things started to change.
There, she felt supported by the other kids and Club staff members.
“Here, I can really trust people,” she says. “I am comfortable. I love meeting new kids and talking to my old friends. And I love the staff. If they see me having a bad day, they don’t hesitate to ask me about it. I can talk about it without having it build up inside. It really helps.”
funded by WWE and Cricket Wireless. Each of the Superbuilders, as they were labeled, was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from WWE and shared the stage with wrestling stars at the grand opening.
Neviah is president of the Torch Club, a leadership group at Desich, and plans to enter this year’s BGCNEO Youth of the Year competition, where she would be one of the youngest candidates.
She is a student at Horizon Science Academy of Lorain, where she excels in the classroom and is a cheerleader.
Club Director Shadikia Coleman says Neviah has become a leader at Desich.
“She’s wonderful – her personality lights up the entire Club. She is a real go-getter,” Coleman says.
Last summer, Neviah was one of four members who helped design a new Club playground, one
“I don’t like conflict – it’s not fun,” Neviah says. “At the Club, I feel like I’m with friends who accept me for who I am. That’s so important.”
Your support helps make stories like Neviah’s possible. We call this our Thankuary edition of the Your Clubs newsletter because we feel it is important that supporters like you know you are making a difference in the lives of young people. Thank you.
HOLIDAYS
s po n so rs br o u gh t joy to o u r C lu b ki ds
You made the holiday season so much brighter for our Club kids. Thank you!
Companies and individuals across the region stepped up to support holiday celebrations at all 32 BGCNEO Clubs, providing funding for gifts, food, games and entertainment.
Durling Middle School Club members played Christmas Bingo and decorated cookies. The Grinch paid a visit to the Frank Jacinto Club. At the Garfield Elmwood Club, sponsor RE/ MAX Haven Property Management volunteers brought pizza, cookies and cupcakes -- and enough gifts for every child to receive three and a stocking. And at the Broadway Club, kids dressed in pajamas decorated gingerbread cookies and enjoyed a mound of gifts courtesy of sponsors Brand Castle and Cleveland Tradeswomen.
Thanks to everyone who made the holidays special for our Club kids.
We are grateful for the following organizations and individuals who supported our Club holiday parties.
A.C. Creativity, Alera Group, Alterra, Amazon Web Services, BDO, Mark Beeler, Brand Castle Bridge Board, Cleveland Research Company, Cleveland Tradeswomen, Cricket Wireless, Emerson Group, Equity Trust, Grant Thornton, Hudson High School, Huntington, Bernard & Nancy Karr, Lorain Elks, Menards, MetroHealth, Outline Ohio, Pulte, Raising Cane’s, RE/MAX Haven Property Management, Regency Construction Services, Rocky River Fire Department, Step2, Target, Tropidelic and VE Solutions.
Broadway Club members wore pajamas to their party.
Garfield Elmwood Club members went the artistic route.
The Grinch could not steal the holiday fun at the Frank Jacinto Club.
Our staff elves wrapped gifts.
VOLUNTEERING
e m a kes lear n i ng fu n f o r ou r C lu b m e m be rs
Kenjuan Kelly speaks softly. He smiles easily.
But when it comes to finding new and creative ways to help Boys & Girls Club members learn and grow during their time after school, the easy-going volunteer is serious and energetic. Kenjuan’s ideas range from cooking tips to STEM projects to inventing sports games.
“Kenjuan is a blessing to work with,” Broadway Club Director Kiara Blake says. “He always creates lessons from day to day that are full of fun activities that pique our members’ interest. He always has incentives that encourage members to participate and take on new challenges.”
For Kenjuan, volunteering is a labor of love.
“Just being around the kids is a joy,” says Kenjuan, a rapper and founder of REVERDER World Animation, which creates animated cartoon projects. “I love it when they are willing to try new things and work at them. I provide them with incentives, but the main thing is they learn.”
Kenjuan, who was born in Alabama and moved to Cleveland when he was a child, helps the Club staff by providing structured activities for kids right after school. Among his favorites are making simple dishes – think caramel apples and Rice Krispies Treats – and making up sporting competitions. No matter what the activity, the goal is to help kids listen, learn and succeed.
Kenjuan is one of 740 people who volunteered with Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio in 2024. It was a record-breaking year for volunteerism at BGCNEO, both in terms of volunteers (vs. the 563 mark the previous year) and hours served (3,284.09 vs. 2,140 in 2023). Forty-four volunteers, including Kenjuan, signed up for recurring work helping our youth with academics, STEM and general Club support – especially critical work considering BGCNEO’s funding cuts.
Fourteen organizations were repeat volunteers in 2023 and 2024: Amazon, Brand Castle, BGCNEO Bridge Board, Cleveland Clinic, Fitness Machine Technicians, Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing, Gordon Food Service, Archbishop Hoban High School, Huntington Bank, KPMG, Oberlin College, Parker Hannifin, Pulte and Reliability First.
We are grateful for the work of Kenjuan and all those who volunteered with BGCNEO in 2024. We are humbled by the generosity of those who freely gave their time to our kids. Thank you!
When we learned of a $3 million gap in our 2024 budget due to cuts in federal funding, we asked our supporters to help bridge the shortfall and keep as many Clubs open as possible. And while we could not reopen all Clubs at the start of the school year, the Save Our Clubs campaign was a success – thanks to the individuals, companies and foundations that stepped up.
We cannot thank you enough. Here are just a few of the campaign highlights:
• Cleveland’s FOX 8 highlighted our needs by devoting an entire morning of segments from our Club with host Kenny Crumpton. Viewers learned more about the Clubs and donated.
• WKYC Studios’ Boys & Girls Clubs Day of Giving 2024, a daylong telethon sponsored by Oswald Companies, raised more than $200,000 for BGCNEO. Oswald made a $10,000 donation, and The Callahan Foundation provided a $50,000 matching gift. Foundation President and Executive Director Tim Callahan said, “When we heard of the funding shortfall related to federal funds being withdrawn, we felt that the foundation community needed to respond.”
• The response from individual donors was uplifting. Donor Crystal Mattingly said, “Thank you for the opportunities and experiences you offer kids!” Donor Mitch Kokish wrote, “Keep up the good work. Youth brings hope.”
• In addition to making a $100,000 donation to BGCNEO, Cleveland Guardians Charities included us as one of the recipients in their CLEInspires auction and helped tell our story in a pre-game television interview.
Our basketball players showed off their skills on live TV.
BGCNEO CEO Allen Smith is interviewed by FOX 8’s Kenny Crumpton.
Mike Polk Jr. of WKYC talks to BGCNEO Director of Programs Courtney Horne.
You can help more kids today by donating to BGCNEO. Just scan this code or visit www.bgcneo.org. we need your help
WKYC’s Joe Cronauer interviews Oswald Companies CEO Bob Klonk.
EVENTS
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and teammates James Proche, Nyheim Hines and Cameron Latu visited the Broadway Club to support the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s mission of providing a happy and hunger-free holiday season to those in need, specifically through the Kids Cafe program. DTR and crew chatted with our kids during dinner and joined them in a spirited football-themed obstacle course in the gymnasium.
One hundred members of our Larkmoor and Durling Clubs received new bicycles and helmets, thanks to a project initiated by the Raising Cane’s restaurant chain. Helping out at the fitting were Cleveland Browns players Ogbo Okoronkwo and Grant Delpit.
Cavs guard Darius Garland made an impromptu visit to the Broadway Club during Feed the Need event, serving pizza to our Club members and giving each of them a turkey to take home.
Cleveland Browns defensive back Mike Ford Jr. hosted a holiday meal and get-together for King Kennedy Club and East Tech Teen Center members. The event was a hit with our youth and their families.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Club members were in the national spotlight when their visit to the newly renovated Cleveland Museum of Natural History was part of Maggie Vespa’s story on NBC’s Today show. We are so grateful to our friends at CMNH for giving our kids this opportunity.
HIGHLIGHTS
A Teen Takeover at the Broadway Club was a huge success, with 75 teens from eight Clubs around the region having fun in a safe, fun atmosphere. The event featured food, games, music and dancing.
Youth at our Elyria South Club now have a completely refurbished gymnasium, thanks to support from Coca-Cola Co., ABARTA Coca-Cola Beverages, Giant Eagle and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The project, which was launched in conjunction with this year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four in Cleveland, included a new floor, baskets, striping and logos.
One of BGCNEO’s pillars is encouraging healthy lifestyles. We were awarded a grant from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation for our efforts to prevent substance abuse and addiction among young people. The grant money came from settlement funds Ohio received because of opiod crisis litigation.
Torch and Keystone Club members from across our organization participated in Club cleanup projects as part of the Bigger Than Basketball program. Thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland-Cliffs, members learned the importance of showing up for their community and taking ownership of their Club space.
WHY I GIVE
WHY I BELONG
“It is a safe environment where I can be myself, and no one really judges me for being myself.”
Jermaine, 9
Elyria South Club
The first time I truly connected with BGCNEO was during a coffee meetup with their former Chief Development Officer in 2018. His passion was palpable as he spoke about the organization’s mission and the profound impact it has on the lives of young people. That conversation stayed with me, and shortly afterward, I decided to make BGCNEO the first organization I freely donated to monthly. At a subsequent lunch hosted by the organization, I was thanked for my then-modest monthly donation and inspired by the presentation. By the time I got home, I knew I wanted to do more — and I doubled my monthly donation.BGCNEO is so much more than an organization; it’s a lifeline for so many young people.
Sarah Franks, Cleveland
WHY I VOLUNTEER
I often find myself feeling overwhelmed by my to-do list, but volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club never fails to remind me of the importance of appreciating the moment and letting yourself be silly. As students go through new challenges as our world continues to change, it is more true than ever that it takes a village. Spending time becoming a part of that village by supporting the future of your community is very rewarding- I feel lucky to enjoy the kids’ diverse personalities and support them in their growth and successes.
Kate Boutell, Oberlin
6114 Broadway Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44127
February 17: Clubs and offices closed for President’s Day
