Boys & Girls Club Blog

Our Clubhouse on Parkway Ave and Broad St may currently be closed, but kids, teens and their families need the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh now more than ever. The Club is uniquely positioned to leverage our meaningful relationships with families and youth to provide important resources as well as highly trained and caring staff needed at this time.

Club staff have been working tirelessly to meet needs with through basic needs support, distance learning support, virtual programming, relationship building and keeping things fun for Club members and their families.

The Club is working alongside the Oshkosh Area School District to prevent learning loss by providing virtual tutoring for kids in grades 1-12 using technology including Zoom and Google Classroom. If your child(ren) need help with on-line class assignments or additional support in Math or Literacy, please contact Cathy Rothe cathy.rothe@oshkosh.k12.wi.us for more information.

The Club is also providing fun activities, health challenges and virtual learning opportunities for youth on our social media channels. Younger youth can access this content through the Club’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Teens can access these opportunities through the Teen Center’s Facebook page and Instagram. Teens who are Club members and have a signed parental consent form also have opportunities to meet each week on Zoom with Club staff and other teens to connect and play games.

The Club’s Great Futures Mentoring Program, which pairs youth who need extra support with caring adult mentors, is focused right now on keep the relationships that have been formed going strong by holding virtual Zoom meetings between matches on a regular basis with a full-staff member present for each meeting for extra safety.

The Club has also been in close contact with our families who are in the greatest need to make sure they have food, clothing, household and hygiene supplies. The past few weeks, thanks to an anonymous donor, the Club has provided dinners to 30 families on a weekly basis at a discount from several local restaurants including Pilora’s, TJ’s Harbor Grill, Roxy Supper Club and Primo. Starting the week of April 20^th, the Club is also preparing and distributing 4 boxes w/ assembled meals/snacks for 254 kids/adults. Next week, the Club plans to do the same for over 300 kids/adults. The meal boxes will be available for Club families throughout the quarantine.

If you would like to help the Club provide critical services to youth and families in Oshkosh, here are ways you can help. The Club is in need of the following.

• Financial gifts: donate online at bgcosh.org. Your gift will help relieve financial strain, provide meals, snacks and a safe place for kids/teens to go while parents work extra hours when the Club opens again.
• Non-perishable food items for our Little Free Pantry on 532 Broad Street
• Hygiene/household supplies: toothpaste/brushes, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body wash, hand soap (needed badly), bar soap, hand sanitizer, hair detangler, laundry soap, dish soap, spray cleaner (needed badly), paper towel and toilet paper.
• Grocery and gas gift cards.
• Medical masks and gloves for when the Club opens back up.
• LEGO’s for our Teen Center youth.

Donations can be dropped off outside of the Club’s Radford Center entrance between 9 am – 3 pm Monday-Friday. If you would like a donation receipt, please email Angie Koepke (angelak@bgcosh.org) a list of your donated items, your name and your physical address and she will mail you out a receipt.

With your support, we will continue to help meet basic needs, reverse learning loss, restore a feeling of safety and give kids fun things to do, virtually for now, and especially in person once we are able to safely open our Clubhouse again.