Local Club Given High Marks By Official
September 28, 2018
‘It Just Grabs You’
Local Club Given High Marks By Official
By LAINE GRIFFIN
Daily News-Record 9/28/18
HARRISONBURG — As Duane Reynolds stepped into the Lucy F. Simms Center for Continuing Education for a tour Thursday morning, he stopped and stared in awe.
Reynolds visited the center, home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, along with 11 other board members and representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs in the Washington, D.C., area and Virginia.
“As soon as you step into the facility, it just grabs you,” said Reynolds, director of organizational development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “This is one of the most organized and well put together clubs I’ve ever walked into.”
Lori Kizner, executive director of the local branch, said Reynolds’ assessment is what the organization is shooting for.
“We have so many kids and teens who walk through our doors every day, but we want it to be a habit for them to want to come here often,” she said.
Kizner said there are about 600 registered members and 300 children who attend activities daily, and she would like to see more.
“I’d rather see that one kid choose to come spend time here in a safe environment rather than go home to stay with his older brother who isn’t a good influence,” she said figuratively.
Established in 1994, the local club seeks to provide a safe place for children to go to build healthy relationships and ensure a positive experience in a safe environment, according to its website.
Thursday’s tour was part of the annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Virginia Area Council meeting, which started Wednesday and concludes today at Hotel Madison and Shenandoah Valley Conference Center.
About 60 people attended the meeting, which covered topics including safety, human resources and fundraising.
During a safety session Thursday, Mitru Ciarlante, lead director of child and club safety for the national organization, discussed ways to ensure safety is a top priority for all clubs.
“We know that physical and emotional safety are key to members having a great club experience,” Ciarlante said. “When children don’t feel safe, they’re not going to learn, grow and develop.”
Kizner said in an interview after the meeting that the local clubs have taken strides to ensure children aren’t just physically safe.
“We’re very focused on emotional safety — bullying prevention,” she said. “We want kids to be aware of what bullying is and to know that if they are experiencing it, they need to come to us immediately.”
Duane Reynolds, director of organizational development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reads about the namesake of the Lucy F. Simms Center for Continuing Education during a tour of the facility Thursday.
Local Club Given High Marks By Official
By LAINE GRIFFIN
Daily News-Record 9/28/18
HARRISONBURG — As Duane Reynolds stepped into the Lucy F. Simms Center for Continuing Education for a tour Thursday morning, he stopped and stared in awe.
Reynolds visited the center, home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, along with 11 other board members and representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs in the Washington, D.C., area and Virginia.
“As soon as you step into the facility, it just grabs you,” said Reynolds, director of organizational development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “This is one of the most organized and well put together clubs I’ve ever walked into.”
Lori Kizner, executive director of the local branch, said Reynolds’ assessment is what the organization is shooting for.
“We have so many kids and teens who walk through our doors every day, but we want it to be a habit for them to want to come here often,” she said.
Kizner said there are about 600 registered members and 300 children who attend activities daily, and she would like to see more.
“I’d rather see that one kid choose to come spend time here in a safe environment rather than go home to stay with his older brother who isn’t a good influence,” she said figuratively.
Established in 1994, the local club seeks to provide a safe place for children to go to build healthy relationships and ensure a positive experience in a safe environment, according to its website.
Thursday’s tour was part of the annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Virginia Area Council meeting, which started Wednesday and concludes today at Hotel Madison and Shenandoah Valley Conference Center.
About 60 people attended the meeting, which covered topics including safety, human resources and fundraising.
During a safety session Thursday, Mitru Ciarlante, lead director of child and club safety for the national organization, discussed ways to ensure safety is a top priority for all clubs.
“We know that physical and emotional safety are key to members having a great club experience,” Ciarlante said. “When children don’t feel safe, they’re not going to learn, grow and develop.”
Kizner said in an interview after the meeting that the local clubs have taken strides to ensure children aren’t just physically safe.
“We’re very focused on emotional safety — bullying prevention,” she said. “We want kids to be aware of what bullying is and to know that if they are experiencing it, they need to come to us immediately.”
Duane Reynolds, director of organizational development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reads about the namesake of the Lucy F. Simms Center for Continuing Education during a tour of the facility Thursday.
