The Women’s Fund of Essex County awards grant to Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem

 The Women’s Fund of Essex County awards grant to Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem

 April 1, 2014 - Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem has been awarded a $12,000 grant from The Women’s Fund of Essex County, a field of interest fund of Essex County Community Foundation. The grant is given to support the Club’s SMART Girls program.

 SMART Girls, a signature program of the Boys & Girls Club of America for many years, helps girls develop healthy attitudes and lifestyles.  What could be more important than helping girls become motivated, self-directed and confident women!

 SMART Girls incorporates the Skills, Mastery and Resistance Training concept by offering age-specific experiences to enhance girls' physical and emotional health.  Rich, experiential activities are designed to build character and instill values of integrity, self-discipline and mutual respect.

 Specifically, the goals of SMART Girls are to develop and enhance the skills necessary for a healthy lifestyle by helping girls to: understand and appreciate the physical, emotional and social changes their bodies are experiencing; develop positive lifelong nutritional habits based on the nutritional needs specific to females; adopt healthy exercise routines, including a broad range of physical and leisure-time activities; learn how to access the healthcare delivery system in their community; develop and enhance important female relationships through the involvement and adult role models/mentors (specifically mothers, grandmothers and other family members); and develop communication skills for building cooperative relationships by recognizing and avoiding abusive behavior.

 A survey of beliefs and feelings is given to the girls at the beginning of the program and near the end in order to determine changes in attitudes resulting from SMART Girls.

 The Women’s Fund of Essex County is a community of women, families and businesses dedicated to creating social change for women and girls.  An all-volunteer organization, The Women’s Fund raises funds and makes grants to nonprofit programs in Essex County that are changing the lives of women and girls in significant and sustainable ways.  Since its founding in 2003, The Women’s Fund has awarded over $825,000 to 79 nonprofit programs which address one of the following critical women’s issues: Economic Self-Sufficiency, Leadership & Empowerment, and Health and Well-Being.

To learn more about The Women’s Fund of Essex County, visit www.thewomensfundec.org

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem serves over 300 children daily at its main facility on Hawthorne Boulevard and at three elementary schools in Salem and at the Higgins Middle School in Peabody.  The Club has service- marked the phrase, “Powered by the Community” because most of our funds are received from individuals and companies in our community who care deeply about children and their future. 

To ensure that success is within reach of every young person who walks through our doors with all members promoted from one grade to the next and on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle, our Club engages a Formula for Impact. 

This Formula is accomplished by employing caring adult professionals, utilizing nationally tested programs including those that are evidence-based, and providing many incentives and rewards for our members…all in an atmosphere that is fun and attractive to kids. Every day we expand the minds and broaden the horizons of our youth while also developing their sense of belonging to the community.

We welcome all to take a tour of our programming so that one may see exactly how donations are invested for our youth and community. For more information visit www.bgcgs.org

 The Women’s Fund of Essex County:

Lynn Bryant, Chair, Grants Allocation Chair

781-631-2728

bryantlynn@mac.com

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem

Joanne Scott

978-479-9911

jscott@bgcgs.org