The Boys' and Girls' Club of Northern Rhode Island
Mission
Their mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
History
On February 13, 1956, the Cumberland Boys Club was founded and incorporated by a group of dedicated citizens. With the support of the town, business, industry, civic and fraternal organizations, the Club's first facility, American Legion #14 was opened.
With a minimal budget and a staff of volunteer help, the effort was a success and the club grew rapidly and brought to light the need for a larger facility. The dedicated founders were committed to a philosophy of "Sincerity- Dedications-Cooperation".
Working together, they took their dream and made steps to turn it into a reality.
In 1959, the Town of Cumberland donated a two-acre plot that is now the current site of the facility, and in 1960, a capitol fund-raising campaign was undertaken in the Towns of both Cumberland and Lincoln, for the construction of a new clubhouse.On May 28, 1961 the new building was dedicated.
The Club's name changed in 1960 to the Cumberland-Lincoln Boys Club, and the Club became a member of the United Fund in 1962. A new pool and addition were dedicated and ready for use in July, 1970. In 1974 the Hysen Chelo Memorial Field was constructed. In 1982 a capitol campaign allowed for major additions of indoor program areas. In March 1996, ground was broken for the Berkeley Village Recreational Facility with outdoor court activities.
The Cumberland-Lincoln Boys Club was founded to promote the health, social, educational, vocational, and character development of boys.
With changing times and attitudes and the needs of our communities, the Cumberland-Lincoln Boys & Girls Club now provides a well-rounded foundation for community activity, for boys, girls, men, women, and community groups.
With these concepts in mind, they will continue to provide a facility, programs, and services that are integral to our communities.
In 2018 the Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland-Lincoln and the Boys and Girls Club of Woonsocket became one entity, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island.
The Cumberland School Volunteers
Since its inception, Cumberland School Volunteers has seen thousands of parents assisting teachers in schools and hundreds of board members. Often, the first time a parent volunteers is at their child’s school, and many times, those parents will stay involved in the group until their children have graduated from high school in the district.
CSV was formed at a time when teachers had no assistants, and certifications for those roles were nonexistent.
When the group was first established, there was this belief that volunteers could make a difference.
That’s proven to be true, as the Reading Is Fundamental program, RIF, is now well known at elementary schools in town, and student feedback following the “Just Friends” program has demonstrated that children understand the purpose of the initiative: despite differences among classmates, peers with disabilities are more similar than they are different.
Training is offered to any volunteers interested, and with the help of grants and fundraising, CSV raises about $7,500 annually to fund RIF alone. Three times a year, students at Ashton, B.F. Norton, Community, Cumberland Hill, and Garvin Memorial elementary schools are able to choose a book to keep and read for fun.
By making the decision themselves, rather than being given a reading list or directed to read a certain book, children are more likely to enjoy reading, spend more time sifting through books and be more successful in school.
CSV has sponsored the program initially at the schools which were once considered Title 1 or Title 1 eligible because of the districts’ needs, for more than 30 years. This year it was expanded to include all Cumberland elementary schools.
In 4th-grade classrooms throughout the district, trained volunteers have introduced and presented the “Just Friends” program for years, explaining various physical and intellectual disabilities and how they affect the body. It’s through this initiative, that many students learn about how and why their peers communicate the way they do.
