In January 2019, the Boys & Girls Club of Richland County will merge with the Boys & Girls Club of Dawson County, creating the Boys & Girls Club of the MonDak Region with Elaine Stedman as CEO. This follows a nationwide goal of the national organization to strengthen clubs through mergers, rather than create new ones. Brandy Elizaldi will be the unit director in Glendive.
The mission of Boys & Girls Club of Richland County has always been to serve more kids more often. The ability to do just that has increased dramatically with this merger. While the Dawson County Club is older than the Richland County one, it only serves about 30 kids in the former JC Penney building, downtown Glendive. The goal is to increase that to about 100 in the next two years. “This is a really positive thing, to provide great services to the kids,” Stedman said.
A press release states that each club will continue to operate as a unit with the centralized administration functions located in Sidney. This expansion has been part of the strategic plan to develop into the premier youth serving organization in the region. Merging the two clubs together will provide the opportunity to share common expenses such as administration, accounting, staff training, and membership fees and to eliminate duplication of services in many other areas. In addition, the acquisition will allow both units to collaborate on funding sources such as grants. The long-range plans include seeking opportunities to expand their presence throughout the region in areas not served by a Boys & Girls Club.
Each club will maintain a separate budget and resources so that donations raised locally stay local and support local programs. The national organization provides virtually no funding although they do provide many other sources of support. The goal of the local club is to make their services available and reasonable for all families.
The press release goes on to state the club’s appreciation for the foresight and community commitment of the Lonsdale leadership and members in providing a new home for the club. In addition, the club is eternally grateful to its founders, past and present board members, Sarah Sifers and Sara Berndt, and to the Sidney School district which has so graciously provided a home for nearly 15 years. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and they are so grateful to all who have made it possible for the club to play an integral role in that village. They also expressed their deep gratitude for the outpouring of support from this community to the club.
The Club asks for the community’s continued support as they continue to provide Great Futures for the youth of this region – more kids, more often – to provide them with academic success, specialized education programs, leadership opportunities, character development and the promotion of wise choices and healthy lifestyles.
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