Due to the COVID 19 Pandemic precautions and Club renovations,

Member of the Month will resume when the Club is back in session

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KAHLIL DIAB:

On behalf of our Board of Directors, staff, and youth/families, I would like to thank each and every one of our partners, supporters, benefactors, and volunteers for all of your generous and timely contributions during this immensely challenging year. The critical contributions that you made to the Club in 2020 were truly life changing for the kids and families that we serve and allowed the Club to reach new heights of service to our clients.

On March 12, 2020, two days before our 2020 Gala and with a building full of children already facing pressing challenges and adversity, the Club made the difficult decision to close the building to kids and cancel the event due to the onset of the COVID 19 Pandemic. The Club is relied on by youth of all backgrounds in the Joliet and surrounding communities for a variety of services, including academic tutoring, mentoring, meal service, and proven high yield activities. The majority of our members reside in homeless shelters, are in the foster care system, or come from single parent homes below the poverty line, so fully ceasing services was simply not an option.

Roughly 75% of the Club’s projected revenue for 2020 was essentially erased or uncertain, so the staff immediately went into high gear and the Club shifted the mission to direct emergency response and distribution mode, in order to provide critical  services to Joliet community youth. Through a partnership with the Northern IL Food Bank, the Club was quickly able to begin “grab & go” meal service to the community via curbside pickup. The Club then utilized a partnership with The United Way of Will County to serve as the Joliet East Side distribution site for PPE during the initial shortage and did the same for essential hygiene products and family items.

This was PHASE 1 of our response. As we approached the Summer months, the Club shifted into PHASE 2 of the response, by leveraging corporate partners for funding and adding programmatic elements to the initial emergency response protocols. The Club was able to partner with T-Mobile, who sponsored the entire 2020 Alternative Summer Session, the first of its kind at BGC Joliet. Staff quickly developed a plan of action for programming and unveiled a multi-faceted alternative model that blends direct hands on activities, via a weekly activity kit, interactive videos of Club staff, and telephone/Zoom mentoring. The blended approach was necessary because a large number of the Club’s members come from the District 86 school district and would not receive take-home laptops until the Fall of 2020.

We then added academic components to the blended Summer programming model, which would become our 2020/21 Alternative Fall/Winter program, utilizing elements of the Summer model, but with the addition of virtual tutoring and academic reinforcement modules. To ease the burden for clients, all membership dues for any type of programming or initiative in 2020 was 100% waived, so that all youth in the community could participate.

The result of these initial efforts garnered community and corporate support for BGC Joliet, positioning the Club to enter PHASE 3 of the response, which is currently on-going and will focus on a safe and seamless re-opening of the physical Club facility in accordance with municipal and state health guidelines. Our first step in PHASE 3 was to hold a Curbside Christmas Party in conjunction with several community and corporate partners. The event was an immense success, with up to 10 youth being allowed in the building at a time to participate in the giveaway and gift grab, with over 150 children being directly served.

In the midst of the response to the pandemic, BGC Joliet also suffered devastating water damage to the first floor, which houses the game room, computer labs, and main offices in May, as a result of a storm, forcing the staff to completely relocate to the 3rd floor of the facility, which created a plethora of challenges relating to destroyed computers, printers, and WIFI capabilities.

Despite these challenges, I am proud to report that the Club staff did not experience layoffs, reduction in hours, or a reduction in pay and children/families did not pay a single dollar for services or programming in 2020.

Needles to say, this was not an ordinary year at the G.W. Buck Boys & Girls Club of Joliet, but our role in the Joliet community is exceptionally critical and  our mission has proven to be far reaching beyond the standard scope of services, when called upon in a crisis. As we begin a New Year, youth are facing new set of unique challenges. 2020 has illustrated to our youth just how complicated the world can be. However, in the midst of disagreements and political division, the one thing that I hope we can all agree on is that we should NEVER lose our ability to be decent to each other, despite our differences.....particularly as we model our behavior to children, because believe me, they are watching and listening.

The G.W. Buck Boys & Girls Club is ready, willing, and able to ensure that all youth reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens and we look forward to another strong year of service, as we continue to encourage our youth to fight through adversity and find their GREAT future.

Kahlil Diab

Executive Director

DECEMBER UPDATES

2020 BGC Joliet Curbside Christmas Party

Our 2020 Curbside Christmas Party is in the books and it was great!

It has been a time honored tradition to open the Club to our youth on the Saturday before Christmas in order for them to receive a donation of warm winter clothing and to participate in our gift grab, led by Boys & Girls Club of Joliet legend, Frank Bati, who has been leading the gift grab for nearly 55 years!

Times and circumstances may change, but traditions never perish at the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet.....

Thank you to our amazing staff and event volunteers (Juana Hollenbeck/family and Ryan Behrens/family) for a job well done! This event would not have been possible without the support and generosity from the following:

-ALL that sent in toy donations via Amazon (special shout out to the Lakelands Club for an amazing effort)

-City of Joliet, Illinois, Government

-Amazon.com MDW 5 Support Team (Nicole Villalobos)

-Old Navy

-Re/Max Ultimate Professionals Shorewood, Plainfield, & Weber Road

(Ryan Behrens)

-Holly Club of Joliet

-Joliet Slammers

-University of St. Francis

-Servant Leaders

-University of St. Francis Alumni & Family

-Juana Hollenbeck

-Ann Doll & Carol Pritz

Thank you all for making this Christmas extra special during a challenging year, for the youth in our community that need us the most!

BGC Joliet Board Members Sponsor Youth & Families

Every child deserves a great and memorable Christmas.....but unfortunately, that is not always the case each year....That is why the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet works relentlessly all year long, each and every year, to provide support to youth and families that need us the most.

Much like our Annual Gift Grab, it has also been a time honored traiditon each year for Boys & Girls Club of Joliet Board members and their families to sponsor a Club family for Christmas.

A tremendous thank you to the following Boys & Girls Club of Joliet

Board members and their families (inc. friends/family of the Board), for sponsoring several deserving children and families for Christmas this year:

(not all pictured)

BOARD:

Amanda Bornhofen Moretti

Hannah Lamore

Eric Perez

Tony Signorella

Joe Adler

Harry McSteen

David Braner

FRIENDS & FAMILY OF THE BOARD:

Ann Doll & Carol Pritz

Sue & Larry Bornhofen

Sarah & Jeremy Orr

Anna & Nick Jaworski

We truly appreciate your generosity and compassion this year.

City of Joliet Sponsors Christmas Giving Tree for BGC Joliet

What can we say about our amazing friends at the City of Joliet?

"Thank You" simply does not suffice!

During a challenging year for all, The City of Joliet made the children in our community a priority! The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet received an absolute blessing this year in the form of a Giving Tree that was set to be displayed at Joliet City Hall. The tree contained "Christmas wishes" for nearly 70 of our Club youth that needed us the most this year.

With pandemic mitigations going into effect in November of 2020, City Hall was closed, but the effort lived on! The Giving Tree was shifted to a virtual format and every child was sponsored.

Thank you to all City of Joliet staff and elected officials that participated!

Special thank you to Kirsten Benson, City of Joliet Information Services Manager, for taking the lead on this project and for doing an amazing job and David Braner, City of Joliet CIO and Boys & Girls Club of Joliet Board member, for facilitating this critical partnership!

Shout out to Joliet Police Department Officer Teresa Esqueda-Reed, for bringing her family down to the Club for a tour after dropping off her donated items!

Plainfield Lakelands Club Provides Support to BGC Joliet

and not only did our amazing friends at the Plainfield Lakelands Club go full force on donations though our Amazon Christmas wish list this year for the gift grab, but they also stopped by with a generous monetary donation from their recent raffle event!

Thank you, Lakelands Club, we are honored to receive such critical support this year! We appreciate your investment in the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet!

Joliet Slammers hold Successful Toy Drive for BGC Joliet

We would like to express our sincere appreciate to our wonderful friends and neighbors at the Joliet Slammers for another successful toy drive for the Club!

Thank you to all that donated through the drive, the gifts were distributed at our Curbside Christmas Party!

Thank you Joliet Slammer, for doing your part each and every holiday season! to support the youth in our community that need us the most!

Re/Max Ultimate Professionals Holiday Brigade Continues

For the past several years, Ryan Behrens (and family), of Re/Max Ultimate Professionals Shorewood, Plainfield, & Weber Road has organized a Holiday Brigade for our youth during the Christmas season. A typical Holiday Brigade involves a spectacular pizza party, holiday treats, and lots of laughs/interaction with Club youth.

Ryan contacted us in November and despite the challenges, he wanted the show to go on for the kids! This year, Ryan (and family) and

Re/Max Ultimate Professionals put together treat bags (thank you

Feed Your Soul Bakery!) and personally distributed them to the kids during our Curbside Christmas Party!

We cannot thank Ryan, his family (Rachel and Ryan Jr.), and

Re/Max Ultimate Professionals enough! This extraordinary effort is truly reflective of the dedication they have for the youth in our community that need us the most.

Zeta Phi Beta holds Winter Clothing Drive for BGC Joliet

The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet would like to send out a tremendous thank you to our friends and partners at Zeta Phi Beta Sorority- Eta Chi Zeta Chapter, for their generous donation of hats, gloves, and winter coats from their recent winter clothing drive for the Club!

These amazing ladies have been supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet

for several years and we are absolutely appreciative of their efforts, each and every year!

Thank you for constantly being in the corner of the youth in our community that need us the most!

USF Alumni & Family Relations Donates Holiday Bags

We would like to send out a tremendous thank you to our friends from the

University of St. Francis Alumni & Family Relations Department, for providing a large donation of Christmas "Goodie Bags", which were distributed at our Curbside Christmas Party!

Shout out to University of St. Francis Alumni & Family Relations Director, Aubrey Knight, for facilitating this donation!

We appreciate your support and generosity!

USF Servant Leaders Donate Winter Clothing to BGC Joliet

We had a wonderful visit in late November from our new friends at the University of St. Francis Servant Leaders Group!

The purpose of the visit was to donate a large variety of new winter clothing/accessories, which were distributed to our youth during our Curbside Christmas Party and Gift Grab!

This amazing group was generous enough with their time to collect and deliver this critical donation! Thank you to all that took part in this effort and a special thank you to Boys & Girls Club of Joliet "Club Ambassador," and USF Professor, Dr. David Gordon, for facilitating this partnership and donation!

We sincerely appreciate the support!

Old Navy Donates Toys & Holiday Cozy Socks to BGC Joliet

We would like to send out a heartfelt thank you to our amazing friends at

Old Navy, for their generous donation of Holiday cozy socks, which were distributed to youth and families during our Curbside Christmas Party!

Special thank you to the GM of the Oswego store, Emaleigh Mason, for coordinating this donation, personally delivering the items, and for constantly advocating for the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet!

We would also like to thank Tori Quintana from Old Navy in Joliet for also donating (in conjunction with the Oswego location) a tremendous amount of toys for our Curbside Christmas Party Gift Grab!

Thank you to ALL of the Old Navy (Joliet & Oswego stores) associates that contributed to make these donations possible!

We truly value this critical partnership!

Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk Provides Christmas Donation

We would like to send out a heartfelt thank you to Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, for taking the time to stop down at the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet

to present a generous Christmas donation which helped support our Curbside Christmas Party!

We truly appreciate your investment in the Joliet community youth that need us the most and are thankful for your consistent support over the years!

Holly Club of Joliet Donates Gift Cards to BGC Joliet

A very special thank you to our amazing friends at Holly Club of Joliet

for their donation of several Walmart gift cards, which were distributed to families during our Curbside Christmas Party!

An additional thank you to Holly Club of Joliet President, Mrs. Connie Russell, for personally delivering the gift cards to the Club! In such a challenging and precarious year, this type of donation serves as a critical tool for the youth and families that we serve.....Thank you!

Local Resident Donates Christmas Tree to Club Family

We would like to send a message of gratitude and appreciation to our new friend, Mr. Terry McWherter!

Mr. McWherter graciously donated a Christmas tree (inc. lights and decorations) to the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet, which was then presented to a Club family who did not have the ability have a tree this year.

Special thank you to Brenda Campos for facilitating this donation and for delivering the tree to the Club!

This type of donation made a world of difference to a deserving family during the Holiday season and is something many of us take for granted each year.

There are truly angels among us.....

Ruettiger, Tonelli & Associates Donate to BGC Joliet

We would like to send out a vibrant thank you to our friends at Ruettiger, Tonelli & Associates for their generous end of year donation of $1,000!

Special thank you to the man himself, Mr. Rod Tonelli, President of Ruettiger, Tonelli & Associates, for personally delivering the donation and for being a constant and dedicated supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet!

We truly appreciate your investment in our community youth!

Comcast NBC Universal Donates to BGC Joliet

The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet would like to send out our deepest appreciation to our friends over at Comcast NBC Universal for their generous end of the year donation of $1,000!

Special thank you to BGC Joliet Board member, Tony S. for facilitating this investment! We are proud of our longstanding partnership with 

Comcast!

Dick's Sporting Goods Provides Grant to BGC Joliet

The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet is honored to receive a $5,000 grant from our wonderful friends at DICK'S Sporting Goods!

Special thank you to our amazing friends over at the local DICK'S Sporting Goods in Joliet, IL, for nominating the Club to receive this ciritical funding in order for us to continue to support the youth in our community that need us the most!

Diageo Donates to BGC Joliet

The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet would like to send out an enormous thank you to our great friends at Diageo (Plainfield), for their generous donation of $1,400 through an employee driven virtual auction!

Special thank you to Mr. Patrick Krakar, for personally delivering the donation! Diageo has been a valued partner of the Club since 2013 and we truly appreciate their continued investment in the Club.....through thick and thin!

Hometown National Bank Donates to BGC Joliet

The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet would like to send out a tremendous thank you to our new friends and partners at Hometown National Bank of Joliet, for their generous investment of $5,000 to support our organization!

Special thank you to Marc Gorsch, Senior Vice President of the Joliet Market, for personally presenting the check to BGC Joliet Board member, Kelly Rohder Tonelli and BGC Joliet Executive Director, Kahlil Diab at our facility.

Kelly was instrumental in starting this partnership with Hometown National Bank of Joliet and we look forward to an amazing relationship moving forward!

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Our "Sponsor Spotlight" for the month of December is on the NORTHERN IL FOOD BANK!

The Northern IL Food Bank has been nothing short of amazing during our long relationship. Due to this critical partnership, the Club is able to provide 2 healthy meals to our youth daily, at no charge. At the onset of the COVID 19 Pandemic, the NIFB immediately provided the Club with emergency "grab & go" meals to support our clients and have truly gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the Club can provide critical food to the youth in our community that need us most!

Thank you, Northern IL Food Bank, you help us to create Great Futures for youth that need us the most in our community!

UPCOMING EVENTS

What:   Alternative After School Session

When:  January 1, 2021-TBD

Where: Boys & Girls Club of Joliet-Curbside

What:   MLK Day Curbside Event-Sponsored by Target

When:  January, 18, 2021

Where: Boys & Girls Club of Joliet-Curbside

What:   2020 Gala 

When:  RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 2021-DETAILS COMING SOON

Where: The Jacob Henry Mansion's Victorian Ballroom