“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
This quote by Forest E. Witcraft seemed to be the sentiment of all those who attended the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield’s ‘Mentoring Celebration Night’ on Thursday, May 3rd. The event was held to culminate the yearlong mentoring program run by the Club through a grant provided by the Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL).
Over 95 people attended the celebration including youth members and their families, volunteer mentors, Sergeant Steve Dickinson, Officer Kevin Bard, Officer Juanita Mejia and her Explorers Club.
The monies received from the PAL grant enabled the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, which is also a designated PAL Chapter, to match 40 youth members with a volunteer mentor who committed to meeting with their mentees for at least one hour a week. During the year, mentors and mentees engaged in activities such as homework help, arts and craft projects, sporting games and creating ‘dream boards’.
“The highlight of tonight for me was seeing the parents’ reactions to their child’s dream boards,” said Kellie Brown, director of operations. “Parents were amazed that their young teenage child could have such aspiring goals in their lives. This was truly a heartwarming moment for all of us involved in the program.”
Maribel Marrero, mentor coordinator, also expressed how happy she was with the event.
“It was great to see the positive relationships that formed between the mentors and mentees because of this program. I’m so pleased at the turnout we had tonight. It really shows just how important this program was to everyone involved.”
This is the third year the Club has received funding for the Mentoring Program from PAL. The organization hopes to continue running the program in the future.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor at the Club please contact Maribel Marrero or Kellie Brown at 413.562.2301 or [email protected].
