Nation Celebration – Major milestone for Boys & Girls Clubs

Today Magazine Online
21 hours ago
8 min read

Updated: 2 minutes ago

• Boys & Girls Clubs Celebrate Landmark Birthday • Noteworthy Nonprofits

By Bruce William Deckert

Editor-in-Chief • Today Magazine Online

• Tomeka Cole, vice president of development and communications for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, has offered an exclusive Q&A to Today Magazine — this is the second feature in a two-part series

Eight score and five years ago, an iconic nationwide club was born in Hartford — yes, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is observing its 165th anniversary this year. The nonprofit traces its roots back to 1860 in Connecticut's capital city, the same year Abraham Lincoln toured the state and was elected president.

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For the uninitiated, "score" as used above equals 20, and the reference is a nod to Lincoln's legendary Gettysburg Address, which begins: "Four score and seven years ago..."

Four Hartford women — Alice and Mary Goodwin, Louisa Bushnell and Elizabeth Hamersley — established the Dashaway Club in 1860 to give boys a constructive alternative to aimlessly roaming the city's streets. The organization was renamed the Good Will Club and then, in 1906, the Hartford club affiliated with other boys clubs and became a 53-member regional organization called the Federated Boys Club.

The organization later expanded and rebranded as the Boys Club Federation of America, and then became the Boys Clubs of America in 1931. In 1990, the national organization included girls and the name changed to the current-day Boys & Girls Clubs of America (aka BGCA). The club in Connecticut's capital followed suit and rebranded as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford (aka BGCH).

With a national headquarters in Atlanta, the BGCA currently serves about 4.2 million young people at at more than 5500 clubs nationwide, providing after-school care and a plethora of programs that strive to foster academic success and healthy habits.

Closer to home, BGCH has numerous connections to Connecticut's Farmington Valley, including Valley residents who have served as volunteers and on the BGCH board of trustees. Simsbury resident Alan Kreczko was the board chair in February 2020 when Today Magazine featured the club's innovative Men on a Mission program.

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Here's the exclusive and wide-ranging interview with BGCH representative Tomeka Cole:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford • BGCH

170 Sigourney Street • Hartford • Connecticut

Phone — 860-929-7690

Website — www.bgchartford.org

Year Established — 1860

Mission — To enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Slogan — Great Futures Start Here

Most fulfilling aspect of your work?

Our mission is to help young people achieve their full potential on the path to a great future. Watching them make big and little strides toward that goal is the most fulfilling aspect. Whether it’s graduating from high school and going on to college or discovering a new skill or passion, it is amazing to watch our members grow, explore and prepare to make a difference in the world.

Your biggest obstacle, and how you overcome it?

We do whatever it takes for every kid at every club every day. That, of course, is not without obstacles, but we are fortunate to have strong partnerships in the community to support us in our mission.

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Most satisfying accomplishment?

Anytime we can give young people an opportunity they may not have otherwise had or take even a little bit of the stress they feel away, we know we have done our job. Anytime we hear young people call their club their “second home” or talk about how much they like to spend time with us after school, it’s heartwarming.

Goals for the next 1-5 years?

Our goal is to do what we have done for the last 165 years — help young people reach their full potential. We’ll be here to keep the lights on after school, open doors to new opportunities, and give kids a fun and enriching place to go after school where their families know they are safe and cared for. We aim to serve even more young people in the Greater Hartford area, especially our teens.

One of our biggest goals is to fill the need for a dedicated teen center in Hartford where kids ages 13-18 can explore careers and develop the life and workforce skills they need to be successful.

Volunteer opportunities:

Volunteers help fuel our mission. We are always looking for people to join us in the clubs. Whether it’s helping with homework after school, teaching a new skill or joining us at one of our many events, we are grateful for people who share their time and talents. More information on our volunteer opportunities can be found on our website.

Anecdote that illustrates how you accomplish your mission:

Our 2024 SMART Girl of the Year, Xophia W., said it best: “The feeling of support from people who want you to succeed changes you — it gives you the courage to dream bigger.” At Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, we encourage our young people to dream bigger every day, and then we make it part of our mission to find and secure the support necessary to make those dreams a reality.

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How closely do you work with other agencies/nonprofits?

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford is at the heart of our community. And that means working with other nonprofits, agencies and companies. We have strong partnerships throughout the city and are always looking for additional ways to collaborate. Whether it’s welcoming teens from Our Piece of the Pie to mentor younger members or offering summer opportunities to Bank of America Student Leaders, our doors are open.

Interesting stats and numbers:

• We serve 3500 to 4000 young people annually — including our Early Learning Center, we serve kids beginning just before their third birthday through their 18th birthday and high school graduation.

• Four out of five members we serve qualify for free and reduced school lunch, and 98% identify as a person of color.

• When it comes to putting youth on the path to a great future, our numbers speak for themselves — 97% of our members from 5th to 12th grade are on grade level, 82% of our teens are exploring higher education options, 82% of high school members had a paid part-time job or internship in the past year, and 97% of our members feel like they have the skills necessary to be successful in a job.

• We’re also a great investment — every dollar invested in a Boys & Girls Club returns $10.32 in economic benefits.

• Club kids in Connecticut enjoy $135.1 million in additional lifetime earnings.

• In 2022 clubs in Connecticut helped save $10.6 million from avoided grade repetition.

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Besides donations, how is your work funded?

We will never ask families to pay more than $10 in an academic year to send their child to a Boys & Girls Club, which means we rely on outside financial support. Our operating budget is achieved through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, fundraising events and grants.

What was your operating budget in your most recent fiscal year?

In the most recent financial year, we had a $7 million operating budget.

What is the salary range for your employees and management?

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford prides itself on providing competitive salaries and benefits. We strive to be an employer of choice in the Greater Hartford area. More information can be found in our Annual Report and 990 Forms available on our website.

Number of employees:

We have approximately 95 full-time and part-time adult staff members.

What do you appreciate most about the Farmington Valley?

We serve the Greater Hartford area, which includes the Farmington Valley, and are grateful to be part of the community. Many of our board members, volunteers and donors live and work in the Valley. In addition, many of our members attend Farmington Valley schools. While we are located in Hartford, our impact and reach extends far beyond.

What do you appreciate most about the state of Connecticut?

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford was founded in Hartford in 1860 when the community realized the need for and importance of offering young people a safe and enriching place to go in the hours after school. We’re proud to be in a state that has been committed to solving problems and creating better futures for our next generation for more than a century and a half.

What constructive change would you like to see in the Valley and the state?

We would love to be able to offer greater access to our clubs and programming for kids who live outside Hartford and may not have transportation to the club after school. With greater school and/or public transportation access and affordability, we could serve more young people who need us the most. +

• Editor's Note — Today Magazine received this exclusive Q&A from BGCH in February 2025 — via emails and voicemails, Today Publishing has requested updated information about the most recent fiscal year and the number of employees, but hasn't yet received replies

• Connecticut BGCA Locations

There is no list of Connecticut BGCA locations on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America website, according to ChatGPT — via an extensive ChatGPT search, Today Magazine Online has identified eight BGCA locations in the state as follows:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford

• Headquarters: Hartford

• Five club sites in Hartford

Wakeman Boys & Girls Club

• Headquarters: Bridgeport

• Two club sites in Bridgeport • two in Fairfield • one in Southport

Boys & Girls Club of Bristol

• Headquarters: Bristol

• Seven club sites in Bristol • one in Burlington

Boys & Girls Club of New Britain

• Headquarters: New Britain

• One club site in New Britain

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven

• Headquarters: New Haven

• One club site in New Haven • one in North Haven • one in Wallingford

Boys & Girls Club of Milford

• Headquarters: • Milford

• Two club sites in Milford

Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield

• Headquarters: Ridgefield

• One club site in Ridgefield • adding Danbury site in January

Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley

• Headquarters: Shelton

• Three club sites in Shelton • one in Ansonia

If you are aware of another Connecticut club in your area, contact Today Publishing at newsroom@todaypublishing. net •

• This article is the second feature in a two-part series — here is the first:

Club Care – Birthed in Hartford, Boys & Girls nonprofit turns 165

Featuring community news that matters nationwide, Today Magazine Online aims to record Connecticut’s underreported upside — covering the heart of the Farmington Valley and beyond