On November 6, CYC Girls Club Volunteers received the Outstanding Volunteer Program award from Cincinnati Association of Volunteer Administrators (CAVA)!
Founded in 1998, the women leaders of CYC Girls Club have devoted 15 years to enhancing the lives of at-risk girls in the Cincinnati Public Schools. The program began at Hoffman Elementary School (now Evanston Academy) but has since grown to serve six different elementary schools in the city, enrolling 12-15 girls in each group—that’s nearly 700 girls! These programs provide a safe and welcoming environment for afternoons after school, and offer various activities aimed to open the girls’ minds to the broader human experience. Each Girls Club meets at least three times a month and each meeting offers a new activity meant to inspire positive personal development.
As mentors, each woman fills a vital role in the lives of participating girls. They serve as a positive role model and coach, promoting girls’ self-esteem. They set the example of how to work on a team and help the girls learn to set goals and work toward accomplishing them. They show the ability to empathize with another person’s struggles, to persevere when things don’t go as planned, and to see opportunities, implement solutions, and overcome barriers. The expectations are high and the stakes are higher, yet the retention rate among volunteers is notable. Women return again and again, compelled to continue the positive change they see with their own eyes.
CYC Girls Club volunteers set the example for the kind of women we want the girls to become: confident, committed, compassionate, and able to work in harmony on a racially, economically, and generationally diverse team. The CYC Girls Club exemplifies the community that we believe Cincinnati can become. We are honored to have each and every one of them a part of our community.
Interested in joining this amazing team and becoming a Girls Club leader? The commitment is flexible, the impact invaluable. Contact Carman Toler for more information: [email protected] | 513-363-5236
