Think small: how a big country helps local communities

We’d like to start with a simple message, but one that cannot be repeated
too often: thank you. Over the past three weeks, we’ve been overwhelmed
by the generosity Canadians have displayed as part of the Buy a Hammer,
Build Our Community campaign. Across the country, more than $450,000 has
already been raised through the sale of paper hammers at The Home Depot.
A substantial portion of this money will go towards local Boys & Girls
Clubs to help them improve your
neighbourhoods and community projects.
With Canada Day approaching, it’s a good time to reflect. We’re a big
country—but we’re made up of hundreds of small communities, each with
their own unique challenges. In order to help as many communities across
the country as possible, The Home Depot Canada Foundation is hoping to
raise $750,000 before July 3. We think we can reach (or even exceed) that
number, but in order to do so we need your help.
Donate $2 at your local The Home Depot today!

Member Awards Night

This years member awards for the After-School Connections Program go to the following members. All of these members have been exceptional over the past year and we hope all will continue to grow with their accomplishments.

6-8 Member of the Year
Female:
Abby Beamish- This member has been chose for this award for always being happy and enthusiastic when attending programming. She always follows the rules, is very polite and participates in all programs, and has made great friendships with all the members here and the staff. This years female member of the year for the 6-8 age group is Abby Beamish.

Male:
Bradley Ste. Marie- This member has been chosen for Male member of the year for the 6-8 age group for many reasons. He always comes in after-school and does all his homework, he is a great listener, is polite and always follows the rules. He has grown so much since starting here at the Boys and Girls Club, and has made many great friendships. This years Male Member of the Year Award for the 6-8 group is Bradley Ste. Marie

9-12 Member of the Year
Female:
Trina Murphy: This member has been chosen for this award because of her positive and pleasant attitude, and for her participation in all programs. She always encourages her peers to make good and appropriate choices, and has wonderful social skills. She is very honest, and always willing to help her friends work through problems. This years Female Member of the Year Award for the 9-12 group is Trina Murphy.

Male:
Will Payne: This member has been awarded the Male Member of the Year for the 9-12 age group for his ability to positively problem solve. This member has learned over the course of the year to positively deal with issue and problems that arise during program time, and to also help his peers postiviely deal with problems. All staff members have seen a great improvement in this member since the beginning of the year. The recipient for Male Member of the Year for the 9-12 age group is Will Payne.

Most Improved
Mayla Bell: This member has been nominated for Most Improved for just that reason. She has learned how to positively problems solve, deal with conflicts in a positive and constructive ways, has learned how to utilize the staff in her problem solving process and has greatly improved her listening skills. This years Most Imporoved Member goes to Mayla Bell.

Strongest Leader
Peter Mederiros: The recipient of our Strongest Leader award is being presented to a member who displayed exceptional leadership skills while participating in our K.I.D.S. program. This member actively presented projects and presentations to other members, staff and parents, and guided the other K.I.D.S members in their presentations. This member took a great interest in other members projects and helped and took the lead when it was needed. This years Stongest Leader Award is being presented to Peter Medeiros.

Annual Spring Whig Campaign

Today we are pleased to announce the 11^th Annual Kingston Whig-Standard Campaign to help local children and youth. As Co-Chairs we again invite you to support the great work of the Boys and Girls Club here in our community. The Kingston Whig-Standard’s connection to the Boys and Girls Club goes back a long way and we’re thankful to continue to nurture that legacy and help children reach their full potential.

The Club’s home is in the Robert Meek Community Youth Centre, a former Elementary School. It was named in honor of Robert Meek, managing editor of The British Whig at the turn of the last century. Robert Meek held an active role in community life and would surely be proud of how this former school is now serving the entire community.

Much has been accomplished in the past 11 years including an extensive infrastructure renovation to the Robert Meek Community Youth Centre, which will allow the Center to remain operational for at least the next 25-30 years. But as the Boys and Girls Club and Community Centre grow, so does the number of children that need their services. Which is why they need your support.

With your help, the Club’s progress to date has been spectacular. Consider
for example:

• No child should be hungry.  They offer a hot nutritious meal every night to all members between 6 and 18 years of age.  That translates to over 20,000 meals annually at a cost of over $35,000.
• For many members, the Boys and Girls Club children with their only access to structured physical activity, recreation, and sport programs.
• They provide education programs for members because many children struggle with literacy and numeracy and may not have support or guidance at home.  They believe all children should have access to post-secondary education and provide several bursaries and scholarship opportunities to at-risk youth.
• They operate a self-developed transportation system which picks up children from 11 elementary schools and delivers them safely to the Robert Meek Centre each and every day.  In the evening the bus picks up children from select hubs and returns them there at the end of the night. This program eliminates the barrier of inaccessible transportation.
• No child is denied access due to an inability to pay. With your donations the Boys and Girls Club subsidizes over 50% of all members who attend programs, and now serve between 1,700 – 2000 children and youth annually.

The Whig-Standard’s wonderful community tradition innocently enough started through Robert Meek so many years ago and has continued with your generous support! Your contribution is about more than finances; it helps make good kids, great.

We believe that every child has tremendous potential, and we feel that the Boys & Girls Club is a place where all children are given the same opportunities to develop, regardless of their economic or social differences. Please support this worthwhile organization and you may designate your donation too one or more of the tremendous programs the club offers.

Yours sincerely,

Ron Laurin, Publisher                        Steve Serviss, Editor Co-Chair                                             Co-Chair

Please donate in one of the following ways:

• By cheque to the address below and indicate if you would like to keep your donation anonymous, a tax receipt will be issued.

Boys and Girls Club of Kingston
559 Bagot Street
Kingston, On K7K 3E1

• By Credit Card Visa, MasterCard by calling 613-542-3306 ext#33.
• By Cash in person at the address above.
• Online – at www.bgckingston.ca click on the secured “donate now” button on the right side of our web site.

Infrastructure Stimulus Fund

RENOVATIONS BUILD BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR KINGSTON YOUTH

March 25, 2011

KINGSTON, ONTARIO – The Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to mark the completion of renovations to its Robert Meek Community Youth Centre. Upgrades and improvements to the club’s main facility have improved the building’s efficiency and safety for both children and adults who participate in the various recreational programs offered by the club.

The facility was first constructed as a school in 1920, with an additional two classrooms and gymnasium added in 1960. Renovations to the aging structure included re-roofing the main building, repairing brick and mortar on exterior walls, replacing old windows and doors, and upgrading the electrical and lighting systems. These improvements have extended the operational lifespan of the building by as many as 30 years, and have ensured that area youth will have continued access to the guidance, support, and enrichment offered at the centre.

“Our government recognizes that children and youth deserve the opportunity to develop their skills and build relationships to help them reach their full potential,” said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “Our government’s investment in this improved facility will enable the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area to continue to help children, youth and families through its numerous programs and services.”

“The renovations we’ve supported to the Robert Meek Community Youth Centre through our Open Ontario Plan will ensure that children and youth in the Kingston area will have continued access to enriching recreational programs,” said John Gerretsen, MPP for Kingston and The Islands.  “The improvements to the building will give our children hope and opportunity for many years to come.”

“Thanks to Infrastructure Stimulus Funding, we have been able to rejuvenate a 1920 former elementary school into a Youth Center, serving hundreds of children and youth on a daily basis,” said Harold Parsons, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area. “Many of the children that frequent the Robert Meek Community Youth Center are having success in academics and life-skills, where they have not previously.  Finally, the Boys and Girls Club has been able to leverage the $600,000 in funding from the provincial and federal governments to secure $200,000 from the City of Kingston, connecting all three levels of government.  This project has brought a sense of partnership throughout the entire community.”

The governments of Canada and Ontario each contributed $300,000 toward this project through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area contributed the remaining costs. The total eligible project cost was $900,000.

As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding to nearly 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country.

The contribution from the Province of Ontario comes from its 2009 provincial budget, which is supporting more than 300,000 jobs and strengthening Ontario’s economy.

Since 2007, the governments of Canada and Ontario have committed more than $13 billion in funding to over 6,400 infrastructure projects across the province.

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For additional information about investments in infrastructure, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.

For further information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.

Contacts:

John Babcock Press Secretary Office of Minister Strahl 613-991-0700  Office of MPP Gerretson 613-547-2385 Harold Parsons Executive Director Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area 613-542-3306, ext. 22 Infrastructure Canada 613-948-1148 or toll-free 1-877-250-7154

Disponible en français



March Break: Creative Arts

The Creative Arts camp ran for children ages 6 to 12. In this camp members did everything from painting to drama, with a little bit of fun and games thrown in.

Members got to do finger painting, make door hangers, rehears a skit, plant seeds, and play drama games.

The skit the members rehearsed was called the Invisible Bench which they preformed for all the different camps on Friday. The play featured everyone sitting on an invisible bench only to discover they were in the wrong spot. Once they learned there was no bench everyone fell over. The other camps really enjoyed the play and everyone laughed when the performers fell over.

For the camps special trip they went to Gananoque and joined Dream in Motion a creative art camp there. During their visit everyone got to plant a seed that will grow over and spring and paint pictures with glitter. This group also had a bonus trip and got to accompany the Science and Tech camp on their trip to Ottawa.

For a full gallery of pictures click here.

March Break: Sports and Rec.

Sports and Rec runs for children ages 6-12. This camp incorporates a wide range sports including, soccer, volleyball, flag football, basketball, ball hockey, and of course dodgeball. For their special trip they went to the Boiler Room where they were able to try their hands at rock climbing (on walls more difficult than the one Little Connections used).

Each sport started with skill building exercises. For ball hockey this included shooting at targets. Two goalies stood by the net and returned the balls after each player shot. Each target was worth points and the leaders kept track of which members hit the targets.

After a selection of skill building exercises the members were divided into teams and played a scrimmage. This is how the day ended everyday.

On the final day of camp they played a tournament with all the members favourite sports and then went swimming at Artillery Park.

For a full gallery of pictures click here.

March Break: Science and Tech.

Science and Tech runs for campers ages 8–12. In this camp members learn all about science and technology and do activities such as making their own greenhouses, making towers out of straws and going on scavenger hunts. The highlight of the week was the trip to the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa.

Here members learned about all sorts of neat stuff including, old Canadian cars, steam engine trains, the Titanic, electricity, optical illusions and many more interesting things.

Our group loved the Crazy Kitchen where it feels like the kitchen is slanted and like you are going to fall over. What makes the crazy kitchen so crazy is that it’s only slightly slanted so your eyes do not pick up on the slant, your inner-ear however does. The feeling of dizziness is caused by spacial disorientation because your eyes and ears are sensing two different things.

Everyone enjoyed spending a day in Ottawa!

For a full gallery of photos click here.

*UPDATE*

We also got to go to the Kingston Sustainability Centre. The members were able to meet and pet rescued snakes, make their own environmently friendly household cleaner, power a train set through an excercising bike, and participate in many different interective activities that taught how to better care for the enviroinment. They even got a take home kit! Via Rail came to give a presentation about different kinds of trains and train safety. The members loved the video of Via Rail and also got a goodie bag with a train whistle and lots of other fun train toys and activities (because we were a small group, they shared the extra goodie bags with Little Connections). Other highlights were experimenting with parachutes, making kites, making slime, making a mini greenhouse, and making slime.