WINTER 2012
Dear Friends and Supporters,
With every New Year comes new expectations and with these, the hope that we will continue to grow and to flourish. Just like the other children who are served in our sister affiliates in fifteen U.S. cities and in four countries abroad, our young charges are facing a world that is ever more complicated and one that demands a heightened array of new skills and interests. Our colleagues at BHGH’s national office in St. Luis, recognize this and they continue to provide us with valuable support and with the insights to make better use of the resources we have been afforded. For this, and for the many other blessings that we have been given, we remain extremely grateful.
If you are reading this, then hopefully you have taken a few minutes to review some of the other activities and opportunities for service learning that occurred during the previous three months. We have been quite busy and although there is still much for us to accomplish, it is important that we occasionally pause long enough to appreciate what we have achieved. Our scholars, our parents, our staff and our Board of Directors have spent considerable time advancing our mission and strengthening our position as NYC’s only urban boarding school program of its kind. Our website has been updated and now represents an important feature of our outreach. Our partnerships with Catherine McAuley High School and with Bishop Louglin Memorial High School continue to yield new opportunities for learning. You can now find us on utube and twitter as we embrace the use of social media as a tool and instrument to foster greater advocacy and our new schedule of course electives has provided our scholars with expanded and new horizons to consider.
The winter months can be quite challenging in New York and sustaining the levels of energy that have driven us to this point will require focus and resolve. While it is important for us to always see “the big picture”, what distinguishes us most is our ability to remember the day-to-day in the lives of our scholars. For so many of them, the New Year will bring uncertainty and it is our job to provide them with the clarity and sense of purpose that they will need in order to grow and prosper. The riches that we acquire in life can only be appreciated when we are able to share these with others. Our scholars are reminded of this daily-a lesson that the current field of political candidates might want to consider.
If you are only just learning about us, I do hope that you will be encouraged by what you have read. If you are a current supporter, we thank you for all that you do. Please check back in with us on a regular basis-our scholars are rarely at rest!
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
Brad Zervas
Executive Director
FALL 2011
Dear Friends and Supporters,
The 2011-2012 school year promises to be an exciting time in Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York’s history. Scholar enrollment has never been higher as 75 new and returning students arrived for orientation and classes. This represents a 20% increase in the number of young people we are now poised to serve and has positioned BHGHNY as the largest Boys Hope Girls Hope affiliate in the nation.
For both scholars and staff alike, the beginning of a new school year is always accompanied by a sense of optimism, renewal and a chance to re-commit ourselves to the principles and values that have served BHGHNY for over 30 years. Our students represent a diverse and talented group of aspiring scholars, artists, school-leaders and athletes. Our staff has worked hard to ready our facilities and to develop a dynamic and ground-breaking series of new course electives and activities. Together, we expect to learn much and to find new and more meaningful ways to strengthen our community and to advance further the mission of BHGHNY so that others might benefit from our work as well.
This past summer, BHGHNY scholars traveled far and wide. Their efforts have resulted in new opportunities, partnerships and relationships with a host of schools and other organizations who share BHGHNY’s vision for a more just and humane world order. As ambassadors of goodwill, we could not be more proud of our scholars-they continue to inspire us and remind us that the positive changes we seek to realize in ourselves are common to all regardless of our respective backgrounds.
As always, we encourage you to visit with us regularly. Our website is meant to be as fluid as possible. Program updates, stories of interest, scholar profiles, new staff initiatives and other noteworthy developments will be posted monthly.
Blessed as we are with such a strong and supportive Board of Directors and with such terrific partner schools, we are approaching this new academic year with great optimism and we are eager to share this optimism with as many of you as possible. As always, please feel free to contact us directly should you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a visit.
With Warm Regards,
Brad Zervas
Executive Director
SUMMER 2011
Throughout my career as an educator and advocate for young people, I have seen first-hand just how powerful and transformative a positive relationship with a caring adult can be to a young person still searching for direction and affirmation. Having only recently been appointed as BHGHNY’s Executive Director, there is still much for me to learn. I can, though, tell you that my instincts clearly suggest to me that the values and principles that BHGHNYstaff are guided by, are ones that I have come to recognize as the key components needed in order to create a safe and meaningful learning environment.
Our newly launched website, along with the other materials that are being developed to better illustrate the efficacy of our efforts reflect the commitment of a dedicated team of volunteers and professionals. More importantly, I have been inspired by our scholars. They represent the real HOPE in our mission and it’s they who benefit most from the services, contributions and resources that our extended family of supporters make available in such generous and heartfelt ways.
With summer now upon us, our scholars have embarked on a series of new adventures and opportunities. Some are preparing for their first year of college. Others are engaged in internships and summer employment. A small group will be traveling to Guatemala to complete a service learning project with our sister affiliate, while others are traveling to Europe and Australia. We expect that their return in the fall will be accompanied by a renewed commitment to excellence and achievement in all areas of their lives.
We hope that you will check back in with us periodically to learn more about our work and should you know a family who might benefit from our services, we would encourage you to pass along our information. Thanks for your interest in Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York.
Regards,
Brad Zervas
Executive Director
BHGH-NY
WINTER 2012
Dear Friends and Supporters,
With every New Year comes new expectations and with these, the hope that we will continue to grow and to flourish. Just like the other children who are served in our sister affiliates in fifteen U.S. cities and in four countries abroad, our young charges are facing a world that is ever more complicated and one that demands a heightened array of new skills and interests. Our colleagues at BHGH’s national office in St. Luis, recognize this and they continue to provide us with valuable support and with the insights to make better use of the resources we have been afforded. For this, and for the many other blessings that we have been given, we remain extremely grateful.
If you are reading this, then hopefully you have taken a few minutes to review some of the other activities and opportunities for service learning that occurred during the previous three months. We have been quite busy and although there is still much for us to accomplish, it is important that we occasionally pause long enough to appreciate what we have achieved. Our scholars, our parents, our staff and our Board of Directors have spent considerable time advancing our mission and strengthening our position as NYC’s only urban boarding school program of its kind. Our website has been updated and now represents an important feature of our outreach. Our partnerships with Catherine McAuley High School and with Bishop Louglin Memorial High School continue to yield new opportunities for learning. You can now find us on utube and twitter as we embrace the use of social media as a tool and instrument to foster greater advocacy and our new schedule of course electives has provided our scholars with expanded and new horizons to consider.
The winter months can be quite challenging in New York and sustaining the levels of energy that have driven us to this point will require focus and resolve. While it is important for us to always see “the big picture”, what distinguishes us most is our ability to remember the day-to-day in the lives of our scholars. For so many of them, the New Year will bring uncertainty and it is our job to provide them with the clarity and sense of purpose that they will need in order to grow and prosper. The riches that we acquire in life can only be appreciated when we are able to share these with others. Our scholars are reminded of this daily-a lesson that the current field of political candidates might want to consider.
If you are only just learning about us, I do hope that you will be encouraged by what you have read. If you are a current supporter, we thank you for all that you do. Please check back in with us on a regular basis-our scholars are rarely at rest!
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
Brad Zervas
Executive Director
FALL 2011
Dear Friends and Supporters,
The 2011-2012 school year promises to be an exciting time in Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York’s history. Scholar enrollment has never been higher as 75 new and returning students arrived for orientation and classes. This represents a 20% increase in the number of young people we are now poised to serve and has positioned BHGHNY as the largest Boys Hope Girls Hope affiliate in the nation.
For both scholars and staff alike, the beginning of a new school year is always accompanied by a sense of optimism, renewal and a chance to re-commit ourselves to the principles and values that have served BHGHNY for over 30 years. Our students represent a diverse and talented group of aspiring scholars, artists, school-leaders and athletes. Our staff has worked hard to ready our facilities and to develop a dynamic and ground-breaking series of new course electives and activities. Together, we expect to learn much and to find new and more meaningful ways to strengthen our community and to advance further the mission of BHGHNY so that others might benefit from our work as well.
This past summer, BHGHNY scholars traveled far and wide. Their efforts have resulted in new opportunities, partnerships and relationships with a host of schools and other organizations who share BHGHNY’s vision for a more just and humane world order. As ambassadors of goodwill, we could not be more proud of our scholars-they continue to inspire us and remind us that the positive changes we seek to realize in ourselves are common to all regardless of our respective backgrounds.
As always, we encourage you to visit with us regularly. Our website is meant to be as fluid as possible. Program updates, stories of interest, scholar profiles, new staff initiatives and other noteworthy developments will be posted monthly.
Blessed as we are with such a strong and supportive Board of Directors and with such terrific partner schools, we are approaching this new academic year with great optimism and we are eager to share this optimism with as many of you as possible. As always, please feel free to contact us directly should you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a visit.
With Warm Regards,
Brad Zervas
Executive Director
SUMMER 2011
Throughout my career as an educator and advocate for young people, I have seen first-hand just how powerful and transformative a positive relationship with a caring adult can be to a young person still searching for direction and affirmation. Having only recently been appointed as BHGHNY’s Executive Director, there is still much for me to learn. I can, though, tell you that my instincts clearly suggest to me that the values and principles that BHGHNYstaff are guided by, are ones that I have come to recognize as the key components needed in order to create a safe and meaningful learning environment.
Our newly launched website, along with the other materials that are being developed to better illustrate the efficacy of our efforts reflect the commitment of a dedicated team of volunteers and professionals. More importantly, I have been inspired by our scholars. They represent the real HOPE in our mission and it’s they who benefit most from the services, contributions and resources that our extended family of supporters make available in such generous and heartfelt ways.
With summer now upon us, our scholars have embarked on a series of new adventures and opportunities. Some are preparing for their first year of college. Others are engaged in internships and summer employment. A small group will be traveling to Guatemala to complete a service learning project with our sister affiliate, while others are traveling to Europe and Australia. We expect that their return in the fall will be accompanied by a renewed commitment to excellence and achievement in all areas of their lives.
We hope that you will check back in with us periodically to learn more about our work and should you know a family who might benefit from our services, we would encourage you to pass along our information. Thanks for your interest in Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York.
Regards,
Brad Zervas
Executive Director
BHGH-NY