Most people hear "Locust Valley" and think of the Gold Coast ofLong Island - sprawling estates, wealthy families, children ofprivilege. While that may be true for many households, for othersthe situation is very different.
This is where the Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club enters thepicture, extending services to almost 2,000 children between theages of 6 and 18 with arms wide open.
"Our mission is to help these kids become better citizens fortomorrow," says Ramon Reyes, the club's executive director. "Weexpose kids to experiences that, if it weren't for the club, theywouldn't have the opportunities to encounter."
Who does the organization primarily serve? We serve all childrenfrom the greater Locust Valley community, but have seen an increasein kids coming to us from surrounding communities includingBayville, the Brookvilles, Glen Cove, Glen Head and Oyster Bay. Infact, 24 percent of our current population comes from Glen Cove.There are no demographic restrictions to becoming a member here andwe never turn a child away.
We have also seen more kids coming to us from single-parenthouseholds, households where both parents work during the after-school hours and where English is not the primary language spoken inthe home. This growing and diverse population of children from arange of economic, social and family circumstances are coming to theclub more often and staying longer. One way we have been addressingthe increase in Spanish-speaking families is by hiring bilingualstaff, as well as offering our English as a Second Languageeducational program.
Lastly, since our reconstruction in 2003, we've noticed moreteenagers participating, looking for things to do after school andkeep them off the streets. Fortunately, we had a board president in2001, Len Eder, who recognized the increased need in reaching out tothis population and refused to have it overlooked. He felt that ifwe're really going to create productive citizens here, the teenageyears are when we can impact them the most - when they're going tostart making lifelong decisions, when their adult lives will beginto be molded. The club is very good at identifying occurring trendsand adapting to them, and so, with the teenage population having adifferent set of needs, we developed a dedicated area just forteens. The Florence Auerbach Teen Center has its own entrance to thebuilding and a full-time staff member who helps create opportunitiesfor teens. Teenagers have become the fastest growing segment of ourpopulation today.
What have you identified as some of the needs brought on by theupgrade in technology to the facility? Our computer lab wasrenovated in 2005 and has enabled us to address the changing needsof our children. In doing so, however, the focus has also moved tothe safety of our children, as well as proper protocol in utilizingthe Internet. We are fortunate enough to have access to a curriculumfrom Boys & Girls Club of America, which has a nationally recognizedprogram for teaching kids Internet safety. With kids today havingsuch easy access to so much information, we thought it was necessaryfor that service to be provided. What's important is that it's nolonger a thought or a vision - it's a reality.
In what other ways are you adapting to the changes mandated byshifts in your demographics? We noticed that many local students arenot preparing themselves for college. We often hear that they feelthey are not smart enough, they can't afford it or they don't havetransportation. Many students are creating obstacles which can beavoided or worked through. Thanks to the generosity of two of ourspecial donors, Bruce and Susan Carusi, we have started a collegeprep program. This program consists of help with applications,financial aid, visits to colleges and much more. We want to positionthese teenagers for success. We want to help eliminate anypreconceived notions that they are not good enough for college.
How are you going to ensure the growing needs of the children aregoing to be met? There is no doubt that we see our organizationcontinuing to grow. Our board has just conducted a strategicplanning study and we are now in the process of developing theactual implementation plan. The growing demand for kids' services isgoing to impact us in many ways, as it always does, facility-wise,which impacts our staff, which then impacts our budget, which thenimpacts our fundraising, and so on and so forth. We will look at thepotential of partnering with other organizations, as opposed torestricting ourselves to just Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as lookinto satellite locations and becoming more involved in the schools.Lastly, we'd like to look into the future for alternative ways tofundraise and meet budget. No matter what our exact prospectiveplans are, we'll continue to meet the needs of the children weservice. The bottom line is that they're going to be the people whoone day will lead our community and surrounding communities. If wedon't provide for them now, how else are we going to shape them forthe future?
Address: 135 Forest Ave., Locust Valley, NY 11560
Executive director: Ramon Reyes
Phone: (516) 759-5437
Web site: www.gbbgc.org
Founded: 1950
Staff: 10 full-time, 18 part-time
Annual budget: $2 million
Fundraised budget: $1.2 million
Program services: 73 percent
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