2025 End of Year Giving Campaign
A Year of Legacy, Love, and Leadership
Since 1938, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark has been committed to helping young people reach their full potential. For nearly nine decades, our Clubhouse has been a safe haven where young people build confidence, discover talents, and prepare for great futures.
This year, our story has been defined by love and legacy. After 38 years of transformative service, our Vice President of Operations, Cynthia M. Banks, has been honored with the naming of our flagship facility: The Cynthia M. Banks Clubhouse. Cynthia has been the heartbeat of our mission, shaping generations of Newark youth with her kindness, leadership, and unwavering belief that every child deserves opportunity. With your support, this Clubhouse now stands as a living tribute to her love, ensuring her legacy continues to guide future generations.
STEM Innovation
- Our young creators launched Upward Creative Studio, a youth-led digital production team, and prepared for the release of GROW Fitness, a wellness app designed by our youth. We also celebrated the second annual STEM Day in partnership with the Arman Roy Foundation, where students showcased robotics, coding, and digital media projects that rivaled professional showcases. This year, 80% of youth in STEM learned to code, and more than 250 youth and families participated in STEM Day.
Sports and Recreation
- Our 9U basketball team brought renewed energy to our Triple Play program, teaching teamwork, confidence, and resilience while becoming a source of pride for the community. Across our six sites, we served over 1,600 youth with structured after-school and athletic programs that build both skill and character.
Aquatics and Safety
- In year two of our competitive swim team, members competed with skill and confidence. More than 175 youth participated in Learn to Swim lessons, and four teens became certified shallow-water lifeguards after completing CPR and First Aid training. These youth now provide safety leadership at our Club, preparing them for future jobs and responsibilities.
Wellness and Mental Health
- This year, 342 students received support through individual therapy, group counseling, and wellness programs. BGCN also trained over 40 other Boys & Girls Clubs across the region in our trauma-informed approaches, helping extend our impact far beyond Newark. Families participated in meal-planning workshops, while in partnership with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the Club provided 211,897 free meals and snacks and distributed over 10,000 pounds of food to youth and families in need.
Dental Care
- Through our partnership with KinderSmiles, our onsite Dental Clinic served 586 patients, with nearly 23% uninsured amounting to $296,000 in dental care provided free of cost to families who otherwise could not afford it.
Literacy and Academic Success
- This year, 1 in 4 youth improved a full reading level, demonstrating the power of consistent tutoring, literacy programs, and access to safe learning environments. We also published our first Anthology of student poems and essays, giving members a platform to share their voices and creativity with the world.
Community Impact and Service
- We engaged 375 volunteers, ensuring youth had mentors, role models, and community champions by their side. Together with Papa Johns and Disrupt Foods, our youth proudly led the History in the Baking Guinness World Record attempt for the largest pizza party ever held, bringing Newark onto the world stage and showing what young leaders can achieve when given the platform to shine.
Your Role in the Story
- These accomplishments are possible because of you. Every donation, no matter the size, is an investment in brighter futures for Newark’s youth. This year, we aim to raise $500,000 before December 31st to sustain our programs and honor Cynthia’s legacy.
- $3,500 – Provides one child with a full year of after-school programming at the newly named Cynthia M. Banks Clubhouse, where love and leadership shape every day.
- $8,000 – Grants five youth a full year of Learn to Swim lessons, building confidence and safety in the water, and preparing them to follow in the footsteps of our new youth lifeguards.
- $22,000 – Invests in our college-bound STEM mentorship program, equipping teens with laptops, coding certifications, and mentorship through Upward Creative Studio and projects like the GROW Fitness App.
Together, We Build on Love
As we close this extraordinary year, we ask: can we count on you to help carry Cynthia’s legacy forward and build futures filled with promise?
Thank you for standing with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark. With your support, the Cynthia M. Banks Clubhouse will remain a beacon of opportunity, love, and leadership for generations to come. Follow our journey on social media and share in the stories of hope, resilience, and achievement that your generosity makes possible.
Yearly membership for 1 youth to attend the Cynthia M. Banks Clubhouse.
Provides fresh produce and groceries for one family
Supports after-school enrichment and a week of meals for 10 Club members
Delivers grocery store gift cards, wellness services, and academic programs to dozens of families
Provides one youth with a year of STEM programming, including robotics, coding, and creative media through Upward Creative Studio.
1 year of after-school programs for 1 youth at the Cynthia M. Banks Clubhouse.
Provides a year of after-school programming and delivers essential family support including grocery store gift cards
Grants five youth a full year of Learn to Swim lessons, building confidence and preparing them to follow in the footsteps of our new youth lifeguards.
Supports food distribution, supplying more than 3,500 healthy meals and snacks to Newark youth through our partnership with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
Funds one season of competitive basketball and aquatics programs, giving youth structured opportunities to grow through athletics.
1 year of programs for 5 youth, including STEM innovation, aquatics, and athletics.
Invests in our college-bound STEM mentorship program, equipping teens with laptops, coding certifications, and mentorship through Upward Creative Studio and projects like the GROW Fitness App.
Become a Hero — empowering youth through STEM, aquatics, wellness, and leadership programs at the Cynthia M. Banks Clubhouse.