Connector Editor

In Athletic Director William Gilmore’s office, a poster featuring a young African-American boy holding a basketball hangs on the rear wall. It reads, “Show him he doesn’t need a 360 slam dunk to succeed.”

While superior athletic skills may be desirable, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell helps show that they are not the only thing that matters in leading a successful life.

The club, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, aims to provide Lowell’s youth with a safe space to learn and grow and help mold them into future leaders of society. The club strives to help its members achieve success in leading healthy lifestyles, academic success and good character and citizenship.

These goals are met through daily programs including Homework Help, Sports and Fitness, Dance, Art, Diplomas 2 Degrees, Photography, the Games Room, the newly opened Music Clubhouse and more.

Education and enrichment

Karibean Finkley, the education coordinator, hopes to make a positive impact on club members’ educational efforts during her 10-month stay with the Boys & Girls Club.

“I hope I’m impacting the kids’ attitudes towards education and that they’re more confident about doing their homework now than they were in the beginning of the year,” said Finkley, who runs the Homework Help program for club members aged 7-12 and earned the position through the Massachusetts Service Alliance as part of AmericaCorps.

The Homework Help program has paid dividends for many club members who need more resources than their homes can provide. Kevin Searth, 13, says doing homework at the Club is better than at doing it home because he can ask staff members for help to complete his assignments.

Emmanuel Onyeneho, 11, says his grades have improved after doing homework at the Boys & Girls Club. “My reading grade went from a ‘B’ to an ‘A,’ and my math grade went from a ‘B-’ to a ‘B+,’” Emmanuel says.

Marco Cherenfant, winner of the 2014 Youth of the Year Award, is a big fan of Diplomas 2 Degrees, a program that teaches high school students how to get into and succeed in college. Cherenfant,  a 16-year-old high school junior, says the program has “most definitely” prepared him to advance in life after high school.

The Music Clubhouse opened its doors to club members on March 10 after five months of preparation. According to Music Clubhouse Director Michael Dion, the program will include weekly 30-minute group lessons on guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals and recording.

Dion says he is ecstatic that the Music Clubhouse is open after the community outreach and renovation to the Club he did to make everything possible. “You don’t have to be an athlete to fit in here any longer,” says Dion. “We’re expanding to accommodate those with more diverse interests.”

Additionally, the club members are excited to see the Music Clubhouse in action and have a chance to explore new instruments. Once the lessons are in full swing, the kids can learn songs collectively on their respective instruments.

Healthy lifestyles

Setting kids up for healthy lifestyles and interactions is something the Boys & Girls Club staff works hard at every day.

The Games Room features physical and mental games such as Four Square, billiards, Jenga, Connect Four, foosball and more for club members ages 7-12.

These games help promote social interaction and create friendships between club members.

The staff in this section of the Boys & Girls Club plays an integral role in bonding with club members while keeping the environment under control.

Games Room staff member Isiah Simmons arrives before club members each day to set up the games for the day and ensures that kids are being safe and having fun. “Kids always want to play games with me. I’m always learning different constructive ways to work with kids,” says Simmons.

Eating healthy foods is another essential component to the healthy lifestyle choices the Boys & Girls Club promote for its youth, and Nutrition Director Sally Thayer is an integral part of this process. “The kids mean a lot to me, and I want to make sure they eat right every day,” said Thayer.

The club serves more 45,000 fresh, healthy dinners annually, many of which go to the 257 members who attend the afterschool program each day from 2-8 p.m.

These meals are essential to many of the club’s youth, as 87 percent of club members qualify for federally subsidized free lunch at their schools.

“My impact of being here is that they eat and they’re eating healthy. Some kids might not have a meal [at night],” said Thayer. “[Working here] opens your eyes to the number of disadvantaged youth in our neighborhood. Many of them don’t even have the basics.”

Gilmore stresses the importance of good character and citizenship inside and outside of the Boys & Girls Club’s gym. “I believe in hard work, respect and consistency,” says Gilmore.

He says he enforces rules consistently and leads by example for the club members.

Additionally, Gilmore frequently talks to club members about the importance of postsecondary education. “I got my associate degree in psychology, so now I can walk the walk as I talk the talk,” Gilmore says.

New perspectives and lasting impacts

The Boys & Girls Club staff actively seeks out opportunities to open club members’ eyes to the world around them and different experiences.

Executive Director Joseph Hungler says he finds it important to hire students from Lowell High School, UMass Lowell and other schools because it “brings the community together and expands [the club’s] network.”

“It’s always a good thing to bring in as many positive role models with as many different perspectives as possible,” said Hungler. “We hire students because we want to share the most cutting-edge knowledge with our kids.

Learning about the art of another culture is one way to keep club members thinking globally, and that is where Art Coordinator Paula Korng comes in. Korng regularly finds various ways to blend multicultural aspects into her art programs.

“Every day is different, and I look forward to coming in every day,” says Korng. “I try to get the kids to keep an open mind [to different types of] art and expose them to current events.”

Thayer, meanwhile, develops interesting dishes to get club members on a more balanced diet. “When I first started working here, it was hard to get kids to eat their vegetables,” she said. “Now it’s much easier to get the teens to eat healthier.”

The impact the staff members have on club members will last long after the day-to-day interactions, but it was not easy for some staff members to build relationships. “Being a new guy around kids, they’re sometimes skeptical of your capabilities [to positively interact with them],” says Teen Director Joey Banh.

Banh and other employees now maintain a close relationship with many of the club members they interact with on a daily basis. “Kids see me as the older brother or father figure they’ve always needed. It feels like I’ve been here for years,” Banh says.

Out of all the possible locations for an office, one that is adjacent to one staff member’s work area has proved to be extremely beneficial.

Gilmore’s office is directly connected to the gymnasium, where kids and teens play pickup basketball, as well as club programs such as flag football. The location of his office is also beneficial for club members looking to talk to someone they can trust.

“I had a bit of difficulty relating to the kids at first, but I have adapted, not conformed, to the new era,” said Gilmore. “I realized times have changed, but I’m always finding different methods to help kids.”

Club members are not the only ones who are gaining something each day. Employees, too, say they feel a sense of fulfillment coming to work each day.

“It’s a true joy to work with these kids every day and expose them to different things while having fun. I honestly feel like I’m getting paid to have fun,” said Finkley.

Additionally, Korng says working with the club has opened her eyes to a new career path. “I’m starting to realize I like kids and teaching,” she said.

The impacts of the relationships built at the Boys & Girls Club have led alumni to return and share their stories with the staff members that helped mold them into who they are today.

“I can’t go through [Pheasant Lane Mall] without a kid I worked with recognizing me. It’s not just a ‘hi’ and ‘bye,’ either. We stop and have legit conversations,” said Gilmore.

Hungler has held leadership and management positions at different Boys & Girls Club locations in New England, and his hard work has come to fruition once again in Lowell.

“I love this club; it means the world to me,” said 14-year-old Joshua Mobley. “I will definitely remember my time spent here when I’m older.”