 I love the Club. The Christmas gifts were awesome. I got to go to my first hockey game at the Quicken Loans arena. What a blast! Thank you so much for all you do!
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HistoryThe name, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve, reflects the merger of two agencies with rich histories. In 1984, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Summit County opened its doors and heart to children in the Akron area. The first Club, the Eller Club, was founded as one of three selected urban sites participating in a national demonstration project, designed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Department, of Housing and Urban Development to test the feasibility of bringing Boys & Girls Club services to disadvantaged, low-income inner-city housing areas. The project was launched in response to a significant increase in criminal and violent activities in a socially, economically, and geographically isolated population of children. While the Eller Club is, to our knowledge, the last of the original three sites still in operation, the project was deemed successful, and there are currently over 400 Clubs in housing projects across the country. According to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, “Low-income backgrounds, crime, single-parent households and a lack of positive recreational opportunities combine to make Clubs a welcome – and effective – presence in public housing.” In the late 1940’s, a group of Ravenna community leaders determined that there was a definite need to supply after-school and summer programs for boys in the Ravenna area. Operating out of a vacant store front and led by local physician Dr. A. D. Turnbaull, the group sponsored various activities. As the Club grew and expanded services, it chartered with the Boys Club of America in 1955 and took on the name Portage Boys Club. By 1964, the Club had rallied enough community support to construct their own Clubhouse at 519 N. Walnut Street in Ravenna, where the club resides today. In 1980, the Portage Boys Club changed its name and its mission to include girls. In 2005, at the request of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Summit County began managing the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County. In September 2006, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portage County merged with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Summit County, allowing for joint management and Board leadership, but keeping fiscal operations separate in less the two organizations come together. The name Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve reflects the merger of the two agencies, while providing the opportunity to expand Club services into surrounding communities. |
