Submitted by Wyler Boys & Girls Club
The Jeff Wyler Boys & Girls Club, located in the Eastgate area, was the recent recipient of a $750 Kars4Kids Small Grant, to be used for literacy programming. With its small grant program, the nonprofit, Kars4Kids, has been able to extend its reach to support a wide variety of educational initiatives around the country, as in this case, with the Wyler Boys & Girls Club.
Since Kars4Kids was founded in 1995, the nonprofit has raised $100 million for charity, touching over 32,000 lives. The organization puts a focus on youth development and education, with 5,000 children enrolled in its mentoring program, and 40-plus afterschool “Chillzone” centers, established.
“Wyler Boys & Girls Club is offering healthy, thoughtful programming to area children adding value to their everyday lives. This is exactly the type of organization we like to help,” said Kars4Kids Director of Communications, Wendy Kirwan. “We think there is something important here that deserves our attention.”
The grant was written by Summer Tyler, Education Coordinator for the club. She wrote the grant to help the club’s members to improve their reading levels. “These smaller grants are so beneficial to our organization,” said Tyler. “They enable us to expand our existing programming and offer our members new experiences.”
“This Kars4Kids grant will allow us to help more children with reading support. This will be particularly important this summer, to help reduce the effects of ‘Summer Slide’. During the summer months, children can lose one to three months of reading progress, due to not reading,” Tyler said. “The lack of reading can lead to a snowball effect of continued loss of reading levels and a child’s lack of confidence with reading.“
Britton Martin, Club Director, said, “We are grateful for organizations like Kars4Kids that help support what we do at the Boys & Girls Club. Literacy is an important piece to what we teach each day at the Club. A grant of this type will allow us to keep moving forward, though the recent year has slowed some of our kids.”
“Beyond the impact our own youth development, educational and mentoring programs have, the Kars4Kids small grant program allows us to lend support to charities doing great work for the youth in their own communities,” said Wendy Kirwan, Director of Communications at Kars4Kids. “We appreciate the opportunity to recognize and further the accomplishments of admirable nonprofits such as the Jeff Wyler Boys & Girls Club.”
The Wyler Boys & Girls Club opened in late October. The Club provides fun, enriching activities for children, five to 18 years old. The children participate in nationally recognized programs that enhance their lives and expand their educational experience. Children from the community learn leadership skills, receive homework support and benefit from active physical play. Membership is free and includes a daily snack and a meal.
The Boys and Girls Clubs’ mission is “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens”.
The Wyler Club is located in Mt. Carmel at 4626 Aicholtz Road. Due to Covid-19 the Wyler Club is currently at capacity and not accepting new members at this time.
For more information, call (513) 5421-8909 or visit their website at bgcgc.org/join-the-club. Donations to the club can be made online at www.bgcgc.org/donate or mailed to 600 Dalton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45203.
Kars4Kids is a nationally recognized Jewish 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that gives back to the community through a variety of education, youth development, family outreach and faith-based programs. The charity’s iconic and innovative donation programs raise funds for its many year-round programs for children and families.