About the Nonprofit
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With a mission to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens, the Boys & Girls Club of Meriden caters to roughly 1,200 in need and at risk young individuals with an array of programs and services devoted to their intellectual, emotional and physical development. We achieve this by providing a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours year-round. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
Many of our young Members come to us from households characterized by poverty and addiction while the majority come to us from fractured families touched by abandonment and abuse. Unfortunately, some come to us from homeless shelters or from foster homes.Our Club Kids range in age from six to eighteen and their families' average income is consistently well below the averages for both Meriden and Connecticut as a whole.Our Boys and Girls Club strives to offer our kids everything that a child deserves with a strict no-discrimination policy. We pride ourselves on viewing the whole child without judgment of their circumstance and committing ourselves to showing our Members the potential we know each and every youth has.
The "Meriden Boys Club", as it was once known, was the fourth Boys Clubs on the planet, opening our doors in 1888 - doors that have been open to the youth of the area ever since. We've been through a few proactive changes since then, including a massive physical expansion of our Clubhouse in 2000 which coincided with our name change to the "Boys and Girls Club of Meriden".
For the families we serve, there are very few areas of their lives on which we don't have an impact. When we say we care for our kids emotionally and physically and intellectually, those aren't just words, they are an intrinsic part of our mission. We provide a variety of programs that are tested and proven. Our programs look to engage, inspire and empower kids and teens of all ages and interests to excel in school, become good citizens, and lead healthy, productive lives. We succeed at this mission by providing programs covering six major focuses: Sports & Recreation, Education, The Arts, Health & Wellness, Workforce Readiness, and Character & Leadership. The Club functions as a piece of the critical infrastructure of the area. Although a membership is only $50 per year, we've never turned a child away due to financial status. One of the primary benefits of being a member is that this allows families to have their children come directly from school to the Club for after-school care. This empowers Meriden's families economically by offering affordable child care consistent employment is far more attainable, and that family goes from drawing down to giving back.
We are here taking care of kids at night and on weekends during the school year and all day during the summer months. Our resources provide peace of mind for the parents and guardians of our Members while promoting capabilities in our youth that aim to set them up for success for a lifetime.
