Wooster Boys & Girls Club celebrating 10 years

The last 10 years have been tough on a lot of people, but none more so than kids. With the pandemic accounting for nearly half of that time and other things like inflation and life just seeming more challenging in general, young people often find themselves seeking refuge.

For that entire period, kids in Wooster have been able to find comfort in the Boys & Girls Club of Wooster, which marked its 10th anniversary in January.

“Ten years ago the world was very different for kids,” said Jenni Szafranski, director of development. “Options for quality after-school programs and necessary services for families were less readily available.”

In that world Szafranski said caring, concerned school staff and community leaders banded together to form a fledgling nonprofit that has grown into a change-making, innovative organization that improved the landscape for children and families of all backgrounds throughout Wooster.

The club will celebrate its first decade all year, kicking off with its Great Futures Annual Campaign, which runs through the end of May.

“We have an ambitious goal, and thanks to a generous investor, funds raised will be matched up to $100,000,” Szafranski said. “This will go a long way toward fueling growth while maintaining stability and continuity in operations.”

Coming in May is a progressive dinner, a pub crawl-style dining event, followed by the club’s annual golf tournament in July. This will be the sixth annual installment of the golf event, which last year sold out.

Finishing the year of celebration will be the club’s Make a Difference Gala on Nov. 14 at Greystone.

“Since our first day of club in January of 2014, we have worked hard to make a difference in the lives of young people through providing safe places and structured programming,” Szafranski said. “And now it’s time to celebrate. All of Wooster played a crucial role in the enduring history of the club, and we encourage everyone to participate in the storytelling and celebration this coming year.”

For the 10 years it has existed, the Boys & Girls Club of Wooster has given kids a safe and enriching place to go outside of school time. This continuity of care allows the building of lasting, transformative relationships and experiences.

The club has evolved from a small organization serving 60 kids out of the cafeteria at Edgewood Middle School to serving more than 200 kids in three locations including a club annex at Edgewood. Over that period the club’s core mission has remained the same: to empower all young people to reach their full potential.

The Boys & Girls Club of Wooster is part of a national movement to provide enriching experiences and exposure opportunities to help young people build essential social-emotional skills, leading to the creation of strong leaders who create meaningful change through service learning.

These skills, the club says, make them adaptable and resilient within the club and as they venture into the world.

Club staff members provide school-age members with a safe and enriching place to learn, engage and grow. Using academically aligned and researched programs, the staff helps its members achieve outcomes in the priority areas of academic success, character and leadership, healthy lifestyles, food insecurity, and mental health and well-being.

The staff works to ensure all members get opportunities to form healthy bodies, minds and relationships that empower them to shape their futures and pursue their goals. A typical day at the club includes structured programming, a nutritious meal and daily physical activity.

Looking ahead, Executive Director Jon Hutchinson said the club will remain focused on laying foundational growth and stability.

“We will dedicate our efforts to strategic planning, resource allocation and community engagement initiatives aimed at making significant strides toward these goals,” he said. “As we envision the next decade, our organization has hopes to realize a long-held aspiration: establishing a dedicated, independent site. Over the next 10 years, we would like to transform this desire into a concrete objective, driving our mission forward with purpose and determination.”

Caitlin Petit, director of operations, cited diversifying the club’s programs in order to better meet the constantly changing needs and desires of the young people of all ages in Wooster.

“Our commitment is proactively identifying and understanding the specific aspirations and challenges facing young people in our community,” she said. “By engaging in dialogue and collaboration with local youth, parents and stakeholders, we aim to tailor our services to provide intentional opportunities and outcomes that resonate with their interests and aspirations. Through this process of thoughtful program development, we aspire to create meaningful experiences that empower and enrich the lives of youth and teens throughout Wooster.”

Among things the club hopes to improve upon as it heads into a second decade is focusing on the importance of ensuring staffing stability and addressing gaps within the team. Achieving this stability will foster continuity and cohesion and enhance the club’s capacity to effectively execute its mission-driven initiatives such as sustainable funding, quality staffing and membership analytics.

“Recruiting and retaining consistent, reliable staff is crucial to meeting the developmental needs of our club members,” Petit said. “By prioritizing recruiting and retaining talented individuals who align with our organizational values, we can strengthen our workforce, promote productivity and ultimately better serve our community and youth.”