The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester and gamechanger, LLC Team Together to Promote Literacy

The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester and gamechanger, LLC are working together to enhance opportunities for greater access to literature and literacy programs throughout Westchester.

CEO Alyzza Ozer of the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester shared, “ I am thrilled and appreciative to have the support of gamechanger and the entire community, especially when it comes to literacy.

gamechanger, LLC, a free referral service that connects Westchester families to highly qualified instructors, is working with the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester to facilitate their literacy program, providing children with easy access to age-appropriate reading materials. gamechanger is running its third annual book drive throughout the month of May.

“If children are not reading on grade level by 3rd grade their chance of graduating high school on time is reduced by 70%. Our exceptional staff and programming at the Club have helped our high school seniors, including those “at risk,” graduate on time and go to college or technical school for the last six (6) years; that’s impact,” notes Ozer. The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester is also implementing several programs designed to promote reading and develop writing skills. Book Buddies, a program run by Beth Leventhal, is designed to expose youth to a variety of literature and foster a love of reading, and Writing: Getting it Right, a program run by Carolyn Quinn and Marissa Sandoval, teaches students strategies for expository writing.

“In our continuing pursuit to help children feel successful, we are sponsoring our third annual book drive. The importance of reading is repeatedly stressed, but we realize that not every child has easy access to books,” states gamechanger co-founder, Marilyn Rifkin. Reading enhances concentration, world awareness, and brain activity, all of which help to make children more successful as students. Ultimately, this is gamechanger’s objective – to help create a well-rounded, confident, and successful child.

Over the past two years, with the help of our community, gamechanger collected thousands of books for the Ossining Children’s Center and Neighbors Link. This year, gamechanger will collect new and gently used children’s books with a concentration on teen appropriate reading to benefit the children at the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester in Mount Kisco. Established in 1939, the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester serves more than 500 kids each day and over 100,000 since the doors were open. The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester is a voluntary, not for profit organization, providing supervised recreation, physical instruction, educational programs, cultural programs, and social programs for the youth of Westchester County. Amongst its wide array of offerings, the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester is committed to providing educational opportunities to Westchester children from preschool through high school and is open from 7am to 9pm, Monday through Friday and from 9-5 on Saturdays.

Please look for the gamechanger drop off boxes at these convenient locations:

• DiCecco’s Supermarket. 17 Maple Avenue, Armonk.
• Euro Pizzeria. 103 North State Road, Briarcliff.
• Mt. Kisco Seafood. 477 Lexington Avenue, Mt. Kisco.
• The Office of Dr. Kathy Hirsch. 153 Main Street, Mt. Kisco.
• Walgreens. 411 King Street, Chappaqua.
• William Raveis, 395 Main Street, Armonk.
• William Raveis, 95 Katonah Avenue, Katonah.
• Yogolicious, 59 Marble Avenue, Pleasantville.

Any additional locations will be listed on our facebook page - facebook.com/gamechangernow and website -www.gamechangernow.com as of April 1st.

For any questions regarding the book drive or gamechanger’s multiple resources for children, check out gamechangernow.com, send a quick email to connect@gamechangernow.com or call to 914.449.6772. That’s all it takes to give your child an advantage in and out of the classroom.

For any questions regarding volunteer opportunities at the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester please call Solveig McShea at 914-666-8069 x105.

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