Boys & Girls Clubs needs volunteers of all ages

BUSY HELPING OTHERS- Eric and Annie Yu, seniors at Newbury Park High School, enjoy the volunteer work they do four days a week for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Conejo & Las Virgenes at the Los Cerritos site. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Conejo & Las Virgenes is recruiting new mentors through its Volunteer Involvement Program.

Adults, retirees, college and high school students are needed at the four local clubs, especially for the positions of volunteer coordinator, sports coach, music instructor and program coordinator. Volunteers are encouraged to come and share their talents in a variety of areas.

One of the clubs' new programs, "Power Play," is run by volunteer Teresa Chen at the Colina Club in Thousand Oaks. She teaches young members how to be successful in business through mock training workshops, job interviews, job duties and performance reviews just like the corporate world.

"I have a really stressful job, so it's rewarding to come to the club after work and provide my skills to kids," said Chen. "TV portrays them as misbehaving, but they have so much to give. You just need to point them in the right direction."

Adult volunteers who work with club members first undergo fingerprinting and background checks. The clubs are seeking to create greater volunteer input as well as volunteer awards and recognition.

"Volunteering is a mutually fulfilling activity," said Wendy Brenner, the clubs' vice president of operations. "Our kids benefit from exposure to new activities and people, and our volunteers derive tremendous satisfaction from being a part of a youth development team. What better way to give back to your community than by investing in its young people?"

Students may earn community service credits as volunteers. Oak Park High School junior Julian Della Puppa, a club alumnus, is in his second summer of volunteering as a counselor at the Colina Club. Julian uses his diplomatic skills to oversee student conduct at the club.

"What I like most about volunteering is the fact that I'm helping the kids just by being there in case they're having a tough time with something or if they want to have a really fun game of dodgeball," said Julian.

Alex Stokes, a recent Westlake High School graduate, has volunteered at the Los Cerritos Club for three years "because I feel at home here." His service has included dressing up as a ghoul at the Halloween haunted house, setting up sound equipment for dances and holding together a broken pool table during a game.

Twins Annie and Eric Yu, both seniors at Newbury Park High School, volunteer at the Los Cerritos Club four days a week. They supervise members, help in the computer room and walk the children to local stores for lunch.

"The kids are very active and energetic. You need to have patience with them," said Eric.

Another set of twins, club alumni Jordan and Allison Mar, began volunteering this summer because "our mom always talks about work experience looking good on a college resume," said Allison Mar. They are sophomores at Thousand Oaks High School.

The clubs are open before and after school as well as all day during school vacations and summer.

For more information or to volunteer, call (818) 706-0905 or visit www.bgcconejo.org.