The Mary Jane McDonald Building a Healthier Community Award Recipient Named
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Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) presented the Mary Jane McDonald Building a Healthier Community Award to the Boys & Girls Club of Newark in recognition of their after school and summer programs that provide a safe location for students to learn and play. The Club opened in 2019 with a mission to empower young people, ages 5 to 18 years, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The after school and summer programs focus on character and leadership, healthy lifestyles, academic success, and future career planning for teenagers.
“The Boys & Girls Club of Newark makes the physical and mental health of the children they serve a top priority,” LMHS President & CEO Rob Montagnese said. “The staff works diligently to offer programs to encourage personal growth and healthy lifestyles while also connecting families with needed resources. They are building a healthier community by starting with the children – our most valuable asset.”
The nationally proven programming facilitates physical and emotional development of club members and includes:
- Passport to Manhood – a program that engages boys in discussions and activities that reinforce positive behavior, and focuses on the personal journey of maturation and growth.
- Skills Mastery and Resilience Training (SMART) Girls – a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education, and self-esteem enhancement program that encourages girls to make healthy food choices, stay physically fit, seek proper healthcare, and develop positive relationships with peers and adults.
- Triple Play – daily fitness activities that meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical fitness a day.
- SMART Moves – a nationally-acclaimed prevention program that encourages members to develop strong decision-making and critical-thinking skills, as well as learn how to avoid and/or resist alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and premature sexual activity.
In addition to the standardized programming, the staff invites experts from local organizations to offer customized programming focused on developing a commitment to being active and making healthy food choices. The Boys & Girls Club has formed partnerships with other area organizations with a similar focus, such as LMHS, Together We Grow, Buckeye Valley Family YMCA, and the Licking County Health Department.
When the State of Ohio issued stay-at-home orders to contain the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, the Boys & Girls Club staff began using an online model to engage club members. Club Director Amanda Vozzella encouraged the team to secure food and health products and distribute the items to the families of their members. During the summer, Amanda and her team assembled activity bags that contained items such as sports equipment, and ideas for outdoor activities, to encourage the children to stay active.
As the pandemic restrictions continued, Newark City Schools offered online learning. In response, the Boys & Girls Club offered programming during the day rather than after school following social distancing protocols. The programs offered a safe location for children during the day, as well as the opportunity to complete online learning. The participants also receive meals and snacks. With Newark City Schools return to in-person learning, the Boys & Girls Club once again offered after school programming for 163 registered youth.
The students who participate in the program demonstrate improved performance in school and more positive behavior both at school and at home. The goal is to assist them in learning social and character skills and setting personal goals for physical health and wellness, education, and future careers. The Club also works with families to address a variety of issues including poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness. The students are provided with the resources they need while their families also are connected with resources to be successful.
The Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) Development Council created the Building a Heathier Community Award in 2005 to honor an individual, group or organization in Licking County with an ongoing work or project that reflects LMHS’ mission to improve the health of the community. It was renamed the Mary Jane McDonald Building a Heathier Community Award in 2018. Mary Jane was a member of the LMH Board of Directors from 1981 to 1987, and a member of the LMHS Board of Directors from 1988 to 1999. She was elected as the first female chair of the LMHS Board in 1991 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Mary Jane dedicated her time and talents to enriching the lives of countless Licking County residents through her charitable and selfless acts of volunteerism.