To inspire and enable
all young people, especially those
who need us most to reach their full
potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
From the Executive, The end of the year is upon us and we are all looking forward to closing the book on 2021. What a wild ride 2021 has been. In December of 2020, school campuses across the state, including those in Napa were still closed. The Boy & Girls Club, on the other hand, had been open for 11 hours a day, five days a week since June of that year. In fact, it was over the month of December that an article about our search to open a temporary site in Napa to increase capacity was released. That third site, which ended up being hosted by the Napa Presbyterian Church, allowed us to expand our capacity to provide services to an additional one hundred children. That was the year of #WhateverItTakes and we really did whatever we could to ensure that the Club remained a place of hope, care, and safety to our kids and for our community. A year later, things are slowly getting back to normal. Our schools are open, we’re seeing faces and spending time with loved ones, and most importantly our children are now eligible to get the vaccine which means that for the first time our kids are positioned to participate in normal school and afterschool activities. For us that means, we’re back to traditional programs. We can move away from cohorts and reintroduce choice and adaptive models into our Clubs. We are hopeful for 2022. We’re excited about returning to an in person Youth of the Year Event. We’re excited for the return of Boys & Girls Club Week. We’re excited to allow kids the freedom to wander the Club so that they can opt into programs and activities they want to do as opposed to following along with whatever their specific cohort has scheduled. In short, its been a crazy 20 months for all of us, you included, and we hope that 2022 brings you the normalcy we’ve all been yearning for since March of 2020. Peace, hope, and joy to you and yours this season!
Greg Bouil erce Greg Bouillerce Executive Director
DECEMBER S
M
T
W
T
5
6
7
12
13
19
20
26
27
S
M
F
S
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
14
15
16
17
18
21
22
23
24
25
28
29
30
31
JANUARY T
W
T
F
S
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
FEBRUARY S
M
T
W
T
F
1
2
3
4
S 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
13: Vaccine Clinic 14: Vaccine Clinic 20-30: All School Sites: CLOSED 20-22: NCH & ACC- Open Holiday Hours 23-31: All Sites Closed
3: All Clubs- Closed- New Year 4-7: NCH & ACC- Open Holiday Hours 3-7: All School Sites: CLOSED 17: All Clubs– Closed (MLK Day) 22: Napa Valley Crab Feed 3: Youth of the Year 11: NCH & ACC- Open Holiday Hours 11: All School Sites: CLOSED 21: All Clubs: Closed (Presidents Day)
American Canyon Clubhouse
Napa Clubhouse
The American Canyon Clubhouse teens put on their aprons and created an entire pasta dish from scratch. They made their own pasta and learned about their Unit Director’s Italian heritage. This month 300 kids were able to get the first dose of their Covid-19 vaccines at clinics hosted by the Club and sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners. We were floored by the response with over 170 kids showing up to the napa Clubhouse and traffic backed all the way out to Jefferson! Yes there were tears, but also raffles, treats, games, and prizes! Our kids are engaged in Junior Achievement which introduces students to financial literacy and entrepreneurship. The program uses activities that promote sound financial planning, management and goal setting through hands-on activities that feature a cast of characters that serve as symbols for these concepts. How often do we ask ourselves “I wish I had learned how to balance a checkbook and set up a business model in school.” Well in the Club’s Junior Achievement programs our members are learning practical approaches to starting a business and making smart decisions about managing money.
1027
GIRLS
Boys
Non Binary
Transgender
51 22
99
15 7 5
83
Free/Reduced Lunch
9
9 79 68 62 4
2,000+
Check out a full list of programs we offer by following the QR Code to the right or just click:
!
I just needed that right place, the right opportunity and the right people to see it. That’s where the Boys and Girls Clubs of Napa Valley came in. It was the first place I really felt comfortable. They not only saw the real me but gave me opportunities to be my own person and surround myself with people who saw the “more” in me that I knew I always had. This didn't happen overnight. My journey with the Club is measured in years. I remember my very first day; stepping off the Bel Aire bus and standing in front of those big front steps. I remember feeling excited but also nervous. I had no idea that what was beyond those big cement steps and doors would lead me here today, but I was just excited to finally be able to start attending the place I used to have to just watch all the other kids go to after school. My brothers and I had lost our father early on and all we had was my mom and each other; but in walking through the doors of the Club I found an extended family. When I look back on my early days at the Club, I think of bingo and slamwich in the library with Nancy, bumper pool in the game room with Crystal and my first passion, soccer in the gym with my favorite staff, Federico. Those were great times for me, but I think they were even more important for my mom who always knew we were in a safe place while she worked to make sure we stayed happy, healthy and cared for. Over time those games became opportunities that helped me grow into the passionate and driven person I am today. Playing at The Club granted me the ability to learn, to practice and showed me how much hard work and effort pays off. At The Club was always fun, but we always grew through play. The lessons I learned at the Club gave me a foundation for my story. Middle school brought on some big changes in my life. They didn’t have a Club at my new school and there wasn’t a way for me to attend The Club because of transportation but I always made sure to go there over school breaks. I started to see changes in personalities, interests, friends and where we would all put effort and spend our time. Over time my friends started to look different to me. They were the “cool kids” and because I didn’t match that description, I felt disconnected. That’s when I started to find my love for video games, content creation and a variety of new things beyond sports. I loved diving into these things but exploring them isolated me and separated me from the pack which was hard. At home I started to feel like I wasn't living up to the standard or expectations others were meeting, and I felt as if those closest to me couldn’t see the value in what I was doing. I was different and I resented that. I wrestled with myself over who I was, and I lost that fight many times and acted out. I was getting in trouble, referrals, detentions, all while being compared to others and their success. While I had secretly found my passion for gaming and game design and was dreaming of becoming a future content creator, I was also jeopardizing by rebelling against doubts like “that's not a real profession,” “that’s crazy, be realistic!” “That won't get you anywhere!” “can’t you be more like so and so…” and my favorite “they are just games, bro.”
In the Summer of my freshman year, I returned to the Club and found my home in the teen center. I had no idea what to expect but choosing to come back that summer was one of the most important decisions for me and my future. I met and reconnected with some of my favorite people and made friends who I now consider family. The Club also took me places. I saw my first waterfall on a trip with the Club, they took me paintballing, and I always loved the annual lock-in. But they also gave me opportunities. I visited San Francisco with them and toured it with a Club alumni who immediately connected with. I was invited to Pandora studios where I was able to meet leaders who I share similar passions with and expand my vision for the future. I’ll never forget walking through those offices because the behind each of those success stories was a kid who looked just like me and once had dreams like me. These experiences helped me leave the voices of doubt behind as they allowed me to realize my dreams weren't so crazy after all. Like so many that year, my freshman year was cut short and many things in my life were shut down because of COVID-19. The one thing that remained constant that year was The Club, who continued to show up for me. The Club and its staff found ways to stay open and be there for me and my friends. Virtual scavenger hunts, Zoom Game nights, Mental health services and help with distance learning. There were days that I wanted to shut down, but my Club family wouldn’t let me get away with that. Staff like Julie, Eric and Josh continued to fight for me and so I kept fighting for them too. They continued to push me by asking important questions, “what is your dream?” “What do you want to do?” “Who do you want to be?” When I worked up the courage to voice my dreams, I wasn't met with discouraging questions but with opportunity. The Club heard me and connected me with digital certification programs in graphic design and video editing. I had regular access to a computer for the first time and professional software for design. Just like those days as a kid in the gym, The Club, was giving me a platform to learn, practice and get better. The Club, during a pandemic, helped me with school, develop lifelong relationships with mentors, and helped give me a head start on my career. More than this, though I was able to also build the confidence I needed to do more. Life is more than just where you're going, what you have or what you can get. It’s also about bringing people together and connecting. I am passionate about video games, but now I understand that this is because they tell a story, build communities, bring people together and give us all a level playing field. So let me re-introduce myself. My name is Miguel Rivera Medina. I'm a leader in and outside of the Club. I'm a creator and future game designer who uses this art to bring people together. I'm a volunteer in my community through Keystone. I’m a Mentor who uses his voice to help future generations realize their dreams. I am a member of the Club and I’m here today because there’s a lot more than soccer going on beyond those big cement steps and doors.
This month we got to sit down with Michael a sixth grade Boys & Girls Club Member at Napa Valley Language Academy. Michael started coming to the Club in Kindergarten. He loves our sports programs, but he’s also an example of what happens when Club staff care and push kids to step outside of their comfort zone to try something new. Here’s what Michael has to say about his time at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley!
Are you ready to learn more about our success stories and impact? Dive into everything from Impact reports to member testimonials on our website! Just follow the QR Code to the right or click:
!
www.begreatnv.org/events/merry-meritage
www.begreatnv.org/events/merry-meritage
“It feels like everyone is always asking me, ‘what’s next,’ and it stresses me out because I don’t know the answer to that question but its like I’m supposed to know.” As a teen you’re often told to start thinking about a career and what you want to do with your life, but when you have no tangible experience, it’s easy to focus on the people around you who seem successful. That’s why we partnered with Onna, Accel, and Lyft to create an opportunity for our teens to visit with and ask questions of executives and administrators, because we’re all about exposing our youth to new opportunities. Just check out the video below!
We need local industry professionals to share their experience as mentors, panelists for teen Q&A discussions, and to help us set up local internships for our youth. Are you ready, as a professional, to get involved at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley?! Sign up as a volunteer by following the QR Code to the right or just click:
!
For the last 12 years the Napa Valley Vintners have been a key partner of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley. With over $3,000,000 invested in our programs since the partnership began they have touched thousands of lives through programs made possible because of their support. Securing consistent and reliable funding is the most difficult obstacle we face as an agency because our youth need to know that we’re going to be present and more than this that we’re going to honor our commitment to them. When we say “we’re going to help you with homework every day at 3:30,” they expect that we’re going to stand by that agreement. Maintaining that level of commitment is difficult when you don’t know what, when, or if a donation is coming to pay for the staff, the supplies, or the electrical bill. That’s why the Vintners commitment to continued annual funding is so incredibly helpful because it means that we can plan for the future and be intentional about how we support and invest in our youth. What makes this regular support so unique is the level of trust they place in us and other recipients. It’s much easier to secure funding for a special interest project. People fall in love with supporting our Fine Arts programs, Workforce Development programs, and our work in mental health. Like any business, though, we have all of these ancillary expenses like facility maintenance, insurance, and all the infrastructure that makes the fun stuff possible. People just don’t get excited about making sure that we can pay someone to clean the toilets and while that’s understandable, we still need to make sure the Club is always clean and ready for kids. That’s what makes the Napa Valley Vintners unique in that they invest in us without any strings attached for how that funding is applied. They trust us to make sound investments in our children regardless of whether that means a new flashy program or paying the Comcast bill to ensure our distance learners always have a strong connection. They trust us as the experts in the room and invest in us because they can see the value of what we do for the community. That gives us so much flexibility with regard to how we shape youth. With so much emphasis placed on the wine and hospitalities industries it’s easy to forget that we are first and foremost a community of people trying to make lives better in this special place we call home. That’s something that the Vintners are incredibly mindful of as they continue to support programs and initiatives that make life better for the residents who make the Napa Valley brand what it is. So, if you rely on, have been impacted by, or support the work of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley please take a moment to thank the Napa Valley Vintners because they quietly make our work easier, deeper, and more importantly better.
That’s right, your favorite Napa Valley Crab feed is going virtual for the second year in a row with over a half ton of Crab to be consumed by boisterous supporters from the comfort of their own homes! This years Digital Auction will include thousands of dollars in Napa Valley wine and experience offerings in what is sure to be this years best winter wine auction!
Click the button or visit us at www.NapaCrab.org
Sam started with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley as a program staff in 2017. Since that time she’s worked her way through Napa Junction, the Napa Clubhouse, the Franklin temporary site, McPherson, and now American Canyon! She’s a hard worker but more than this, inspired to make lives better for the kids of Napa Valley. Check out her story below!
Want to learn more about the staff and board members who make all this possible? Dive into our “About Us” section and check out the history of our organization on our website! Just follow the QR Code to the right or click: !
Learn More
DONATE
Tax Info 9
