All Club Is For All By Jewel Allen

Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley (GESMV) is celebrating A.L.L. Club’s one-year anniversary. What is A.L.L. Club? Jewel Allen explains the program and how GESMV has helped the youth in Montgomery County.

Shari

A.L.L. Club is exactly what the name suggests, a place for ALL to belong. We wanted to create a space for 7th-12th graders to come when they may have nowhere else. Somewhere they felt like they could be themselves unapologetically. Allyship, Life skills and Leadership (ALL) being the backbone of our culture here at the club. We encourage building connections with those who might be different from them, developing essential skills for when they graduate high school and being active leaders in their communities, regardless of any barriers.

The youth in the club have hit many milestones while being with GESMV. Whether that be collective goals or individual personal goals. We’ve seen improvement in temperament and behaviour amongst some in our group, who would be proud in reminding you of their achievements. Getting in the habit of doing homework has been a success for them as well. The youth also love suggesting cleaning up the Earth around them in some capacity. This just shows their dedication to being top individuals in our community.

Here at the club, we have so many fun and rewarding activities on top of our self-improvement curriculum. This past year we’ve gone to Kings Island, Scene 75, Bowling, Yellow Springs, Parks (because physical health and mental health go hand and hand), and so much more! Our ALL Stars are in a difficult time in their lives and sometimes having fun, just being a kid is all they need. An upcoming event for Halloween that we have planned is our first Trunk-Or-Treat. This event is open to all the staff here at GESMV and we will be partnered with the local fire station! This helps the ALL Stars form and build new connections with the people in the building and the protectors of our community.

All Club has a great deal of plans for the future. As we just hit our one-year mark, we are still a fresh program with lots to incorporate. In the new year we will be having a grand re-opening as we’ll be getting a new and improved space! This space will open doors for the activities we do and the capacity of the club. The ALL Stars are most excited to see how they can put their own personal touch on the area. The possibilities are endless with ALL Club. We are happy with our progress thus far and can’t wait to see where we strive in the future!

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