Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Virtual Meeting via ZOOM
Minutes
Present: Ruthy Argumedo, Deborah Barmack, Carole Beswick, Mike Burrows, Chris Carrillo, Ken Coate, Sandra Cuellar, Jennifer Cusack, Michelle Decker, Kevin Dyerly, Louis Goodwin, Milford Harrison, Fran Inman, Mark Kaenel, Carol Kim, Lowell King, Pam Langford, Mike Layne, Bill Lemann, P.T. McEwen, Darcy McNaboe, John Mirau, Dan Murphy, Ginger Ontiveros, Bansree Parikh, Catherine Pritchett, Thomas Rice, Dan Roberts, Dan Schenkel, Kristine Scott, Paul Shimoff, Jose Torres, Eric Ustation, Pete Van Helden, Ray Wolfe, Marisa Yeager and Frank Zabaleta.
Guests: Greg Bradbard.
Announcements: 1) Members were reminded that next week Committees’ will be given time to work on Federal advocacy issues. This will be the last Zoom meeting dedicated to Committee work. Issues will be due to staff on February 16, 2021. 2) The Inland Action Annual Reports are now posted on the web site under Organizational Documents.
Lowell King, Chair, presiding.
Motion by K. Scott/ Second by M. Burrows/Passed: Minutes from January 19, 2021.
The 2021 revised proposed budget posted on the web site was updated to include staff compensation. An e-mail to the membership requesting review was sent out January 20, 2021, with the Agenda.
Motion by M. Burrows/Second by L. Goodwin/Passed: 2021 revised Inland Action Budget.
Michelle Decker introduced P.T. McEwen, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside.
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to enable all young people, especially those who have the greatest need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. To accomplish this, the Boys & Girls Clubs provides a safe place where kids can go after school to learn and grow. The Boys & Girls Clubs provide ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals, life-enhancing programs and character development experiences in addition to hope and opportunity.
For more than 50 years, the Club has been a second home to many of our communities most needy youth. Over the years the Club has expanded through partnerships to serve more kids in the Inland Empire. Their Clubhouse is located in Redlands but have service locations in public and affordable housing complexes as well as Title I schools. Over the years the Club has expanded through partnerships to serve more kids in the Inland Empire. They currently serve over 3,600 kids per day.
A study done in the 1960’s, revalidated in the mid 80’s, and again in the early 2000’s shows that every child needs the following to succeed:
- Belonging – a place where they feel welcome. Many kids report the Club as their second home.
- Usefulness – They help each child find what they are good at (their talent).
- Influence – They help kids, especially teens realize the influence they have and can make in society.
- Competence – They help develop that “stick-to-itiveness” by initially drawing on their usefulness and building from there.
The Clubs have embraced this positive youth development strategy with the added element of fun.
Core programs they provide include character and leadership development, education and career development, the arts, health and life skills and sports, fitness and recreation. Their goal is to offer programs and services that will engage a wide variety of youth in a way that will help develop them into responsible adults who give back to their community. Core programs:
Academic Success – Every child should be able to graduate high school on time with a plan for the future (college, trade school, military or employment). Programs in this core program area enable youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations, and embrace technology to achieve success in a career.
Good Character & Citizenship –To model a strong character and become engaged citizens, kids need to learn to be active in the community. They expose kids to service clubs and volunteer options.
Healthy Lifestyles – Kids need to know the impact that food plays in our daily routine, to create life-long active leisure activities, and develop a commitment to fitness.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted everyone. They shut down on March 16 per the State order. For the next few weeks staff worked on how to safely re-open and conduct virtual programs. In April they launched their virtual programs and began an emergency food program. They reopened face-to-face operations May 28th with mandated mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing protocols in addition to environmental teams sanitizing areas. Staff is tested regularly, and as they have not had any COVID-19 transmissions, they know the protocols are working. Although their combined average daily attendance (ADA) has dropped 76%, they are confident that when school districts re-open these numbers will increase.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:59 a.m.