A case for support

Alameda Youth Development Center Case for Support

The big picture
Today, the closing bell will ring in Alameda schools and roughly 10,000 students will leave the school grounds. Some will go home to a parent, some will go to an after school program.

But many will go it alone – and will enter the most dangerous time of the day for children. Research indicates that youth-related crime triples between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. every weekday. National statistics, and daily headlines, make it clear that unsupervised children are at greater risk in the after-school hours.

Why the Boys and Girls Club?
For 60 years, the Boys & Girls Club Alameda has effectively guided our area youth to reach their fullest potential in life.

The Boys & Girls Club is more than just a place for recreation. We provide activities and experiences that enrich the lives of young people in our community. Indeed, the quality of life we all enjoy is due, in part, to the Club’s sustained attention to the changing needs of today’s youth.

We involve young boys and girls in wholesome activities that build their self-esteem and self-worth. We teach the values of responsibility and respect. We empower children to make wise and educated life choices. In this age of teen alcohol and drug use, premarital sex, and violence, we work to help create model citizens for our future.

Our mission
Our mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

Who do we serve?
We currently serve youth ages 6 – 18 from three locations. We operate a Teen Center at the Esperanza Low Income Housing Project. We also conduct a recreation and fitness program at the Chipman Middle School Gymnasium and co-sponsor programs to teach cheerleading and martial arts at local elementary schools. Our doors are open to kids from all schools and all backgrounds. Over 38 percent of our members are children from single-parent households. Over 50 percent of the children come from economically disadvantaged families.
We have a rich tradition of service to the Alameda community. Prior to closing our original Clubhouse, we were serving nearly 1300 children each year and expect our new facility to serve 3000 youth.

Adding services a high priority
There is an urgent and pressing need for additional youth development services in Alameda. Yet we do not have a Clubhouse to house all these services. Simply put, we cannot help all the children who are seeking a positive after-school environment. We lack suitable space to conduct our most effective programs to their fullest extent. Without major expansion, we cannot serve the hundreds of additional youth, especially teens, who desperately need our services.

Project background and planning

• Needs analysis and early planning. The Club’s Board analyzed community needs, assessed youth and community demographic trends, and evaluated possible building sites throughout our community. The Board identified an ideal location in the West End area of Woodstock. The Alameda Unified School District and the Boys & Girls Club have executed a 99-year lease on approximately 1.5 acres of land located within walking distance of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.
  
  
• Strong start for building fund.  The former Club facility at 2050 Lincoln Avenue, built in 1957, has been sold, with the $400,000 proceeds allocated to establish a nucleus building fund. The Club’s foundation has pledged $1.5 million in assets to be allocated toward the new building project. We have received a $1 million pledged gift toward construction of the new building and a $2 million challenge grant to be used as a matching component of future fundraising efforts.
  
  
• Design in progress. A construction design to construct a Clubhouse of 25,000 square feet, nearly double the size of the former outdated facility at 2050 Lincoln, has been developed. A team of contractors, architects, and developers has teamed with professionals from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to finalize the design and construction plans.

The building design includes a 7,992 square foot gymnasium, a 1,480 square foot Teen Center, a Games Room, a Computer Lab, a Learning Center, an Arts and Crafts Center, community office space, a Music Room, a dance area, a Dental and Health Screening Clinic, and administrative offices.

Will you invest in our children?
Boys & Girls Club Alameda is conducting a Capital Campaign to fund this vital expansion project and to secure the Club’s financial future.

The Campaign will provide funds for: constructing and furnishing the new clubhouse building, partially covering increased operating expenses and integrating these expenses into our operating budget, campaign costs, and establishing a solid financial base for the future.

We are asking our friends and neighbors to make an outright investment in this important project so we may reach our goal of $10 million. The plan has already received enthusiastic endorsement from the Board and wide-ranging community support.

We also ask you to seriously consider including the Boys & Girls Club of Alameda in your estate plans. Your outright gifts and deferred gifts will build a solid foundation for the future.

The Alameda community has generously supported the Club since we were founded in 1949. Our request is bolstered by a proud tradition of sound fiscal management and service to our neighbors.

The Campaign for Boys & Girls Club Alameda will enable us to fulfill our mission – and our obligation – to address the needs of girls and boys all across our community. After all, we are “The Positive Place for Kids.”