K-Kids and Torch Club members proudly holding their hand-made dog toys. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – Youth members at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield have been working hard for the past month making hand-made toys and blankets for dogs at local animal shelters.
Torch Club, a leadership and service club for boys and girls 11 – 13 years old, collaborated with K-Kids, another community-service based group for younger kids ages 6-10 to make the dog toys. Both community-service groups are designed to develop strong moral character, leadership, and a desire to be actively involved in the community.
Every year Torch Club participates in a national project through Boys and Girls Clubs of America. This year’s project was called PAWS – Protecting Animals With Service. Some PAWS projects included dog walking, making birdhouses, and providing adoption assistance to shelters and communities. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield chapter of Torch Club got a little more creative and decided to use donated fabric and fleece to create pull toys, chew toys, doggy pillows, and blankets.
Blair Tomaino, Boys & Girls Club Education Coordinator and the K-Kids group advisor commented that both service groups were enthusiastic about the project. “They took ownership over completing and managing this project, and dedicated time outside of our club meetings to get the toys done. “
Kristin, a 10-year-old member of the K-Kids loved doing this project so much that she brought home fabric to make toys in her spare time. Kristin described her experience by saying, “I love to help my mom sew, so I wanted her to help me make dog toys and pillows on her sewing machine. We had a ton of fun doing it together! I loved this project because I love dogs and we got to help them!”
Another K-Kid, Sidney age 9, commented on the project by saying, “I like being in K-Kids because I get to help people that need us. This project was extra fun because dogs need us too!”
Boys & Girls Club members were able to bond and make new friends while working on the dog toys. Older Torch Club members were able to serve as mentors for the younger K-Kids. This project was especially rewarding for everyone involved because the participants were able to see the difference they were making for these dogs when they delivered the toys they made.
For more information about the great work the Torch Club, and K-Kids are doing, or to learn how your child can get involved, please call Kellie Brown, Director of Operations at 413.562.2301, or visit our website at www.bgcwestfield.org.
Karissa St. Pierre is the Assistant Development and Marketing Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield
