The Catskill Chronicle

Liberty Torch Club at the Liberty Rotary’s Pasta Dinner. From L to R: Kiara Washington and Tiana King.

WALLKILL, NY (December 14, 2010) – The Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Clubs announced today that their youth club members have participated in a staggering 20,000 of community service in Orange and Sullivan Counties in 2010.

“We have been absolutely blown away by our youth members this year, and their commitment to getting involved in their local communities. They’ve held clothing drives, food drives, even pet food drives, to help those less fortunate. Through their service they’ve developed a wonderful sense of community pride, and a true sense of how civic engagement can positively impact a community,” said Executive Director Alexis Eggleton.

Boys & Girls Clubs has made it a priority for each afterschool program in Orange & Sullivan Counties to complete at least one community service project a month,  though most complete 4-5 projects per month. Their projects range from weekly activities like visiting patients at Achieve Rehabilitation in Liberty, NY to sending cards to veterans at the VA Hospital in Castle Point, NY in honor of Veterans Day.

Torch Club is Boys & Girls Clubs’ own service club within the Boys & Girls Clubs, and each program with youth ages 11-13 has its own Torch Club, elects its own officers and chooses its own service projects. Earlier this year, the Crispell Middle School Torch Club won 2^nd Place in the national “Be Great, Be Green” competition through The Staples Foundation for Learning. They took a vacant space and built a beautiful garden and butterfly habitat in their middle school courtyard and won a $1000 prize to be used in their garden next spring.

Izzie Dwarka, a seventh grader and the BGC Torch Club President from Crispell Middle School, said “It makes me feel good knowing I can help out other people by doing community service. My favorite community service event this year was creating a mural for Hodgson’s Farms’ Harvest Festival.”

For more information regarding the Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Clubs, please contact the Clubs at 845-361-2222.

Bottom photo – Crispell Torch Club at Hodgson’s Farm. From L to R: Torch Club Member Sky Sebeste, Program Leader Ashley Bauer and Torch Club President Izzie Dwarka.