Project Make [it] count: Northeast

Sponsoring a Family Night of Giving
through the Boys & Girls club

My name is Kevin Briere, and I am a third year associate in the Boston PCS Assurance Practice. My home town is Woburn, Massachusetts, and I am the third born of 4 children in a family of 6. Additionally, I am engaged to my high school sweetheart, Lori Leland.

To me, making it count means being able to make a difference in a cause that I feel strongly about, so if I did win the contest, I decided that I was going to help out an organization that my whole family was involved in growing up, the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn (the Club).

The Club is a nonprofit youth development organization that serves more than 2,700 kids and teens from Woburn and 35 surrounding communities. Its mission is to enable and inspire young people, especially those who need us most, to become productive, caring, and responsible citizens.

Recently the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn received a pass through grant to create and implement the Family PLUS program. Family PLUS is a clubwide initiative that encourages Club parents to participate more fully in their children's club experience.

For 2008, the Project Make [it] count funding is going to be primarily used to fund this program.

The Family Night of Giving, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 25, will be an opportunity for Club members to come together to give thanks for the good things in their lives.

The night will include the following:

• Family potluck dinner
• Native American Museum display
• Get-to-know-you games

Week 1 Experience

The club's teens have met to discuss the Native American Museum display that will be created in their teen center.

Advertisements have been posted throughout the club, sent home with parents, and publicized in the newspaper. Please see attached document for a copy.

I will be meeting with the teen group next week to assist in the planning phase of the project. This is an event that my family and I will be present for.

Family night of thanks

Celebrating National Family Week and Native American Heritage Month

November 25, 2008
6-8 p.m.

Tentative Schedule

6:00 – 7:00pm
Mike at the Front Desk
Julie handling the Food and Drink in Cadillac Cafe
MiniMuseum in the Teen Center (Tom and Megan)
Thankful Hands in the Gamesroom (Gail)
Lacrosse in the Gym (Zach)

7:00pm
Buffet line opens in Café (Teens will be on hand to help out with this)
Families may eat at the Gamesroom table and in the Canteen

7:30pm
Prizes to be distributed (Mike)

Task List

Mike
Be sure to have FamilyPlus sign in sheet at front desk
Collect all canned goods and put them in the middle office
Prepare for the prize giveaway/games

Tom
Have a camera and memory card ready to go
Be prepared to help the teens set up their Mini Museum

Megan
Prepare goodie bags for families (Be sure they are on the counter at the end of the night for families to take as they leave)
Help Teens and or Julie in the Teen Center
The day of, please work with Café' Creations to prepare their food

Julie
Decorate the Canteen, Gamesroom, Front desk, and café' with Thanksgiving décor (Teens will be helping you to do this!)
Set up/Manage the buffet line in the Cadillac Café' (Prepare juice)

Zach
Clean up back hallway (Make sure posters are up properly, change the "Caught You" cards, you can put the old ones in Gail's mailbox)
Clean and prepare the gym for Lacrosse
Help Mike hand out prizes (See him for details)

Please note that we will all help clean at the end of the night! The teens will be around to help out as well. If you see anything on your list that you need clarification on let me know. Thank you!

Highlights

Some Family Night Of Giving Highlights Included:

• Over 100 people were in attendance, some for whom it was their first family night.
• 2 families received turkeys for their holiday dinners and were extremely excited and grateful.
• To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, teenagers spent 3 weeks creating an interactive "mini-museum" which was enjoyed by members and their parents.
• Families donated 100 pounds of food items to donate to the food pantry at Woburn Council of Social Concern.
• Parents spent meaningful time with their kids and with Club staff participating in both sports and craft activities, focused on Thanksgiving and Native American culture.