Charity Spotlight: Off The Street Club, Chicago, IL!

Housed in a kid-friendly complex in West Garfield Park, the Off The Street Club gives 4- to 18-year-old kids a place to do their homework or play computer games in the Learning Center; perform plays in the Performing Arts Center; dance, rollerskate, sing, and play musical instruments; express themselves through arts and crafts and woodshop; and more. Off The Street Club kids have mentors, tutors and role models; girls can experience real “girl power” and heightened self-esteem in the Girls Center, while boys and girls together can meet and interact safely and respectfully throughout the Club.

Founded in 1900, OTSC is Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club and serves more than 3,000 kids. In the summer, Off The Street Club kids get to trade in the violence and drugs of their neighborhood for cookouts, sing-alongs, swimming, hiking and horseback riding at Camp Mathieu. Around the nightly campfires the only things to fear are the ghost stories. Winter Weekends at the camp let kids experience skiing, sledding and other outdoor winter sports. Everyone goes home with memories that will last a lifetime.

Ralph Campagna, the OTSC executive director, grew up at the club. His compassion, devotion and love is the very heart and soul of the Club. He leads a dedicated and caring staff whose members are the inspirational guiding light of the Club and uphold the Club motto, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

Check out some of OTSC’s Programs:

• Tutoring/Mentoring Programs: Time To Read (TTR) and The Learning Connection (TLC) both provide one-on-one tutoring between kids and their volunteer tutors/mentors. Focus: enhanced reading skill, improved classroom confidence, the formation of bonds with mentors. TTR serves kids in grades 4 through 12, and TLC benefits the children in the primary grades.
• Athletic Programs: the athletic center is our spectacular site for junior and senior basketball, flag football, volleyball, gymnastics, jump rope teams, work-out and fitness classes, special competitions, sports clinics and much more. Focus: sportsmanship, fair play and teamwork, as well as opportunities for tournament participation in what kids call their own “United Center West!”
• Performing Arts Center: where the abilities of our talented kids shine. Focus: activities in the performing arts, including popular programs: -The Piven Theatre Children’s Workshop, a superb dramatic arts outreach program. -Off The Street Club’s own Chicago Children’s Choir Program, choral classes & travel opportunities for concerts led by the renowned choirs outstanding leaders. -Jazz Masters Workshop, life-enhancing ability to play a musical instrument, taught by volunteer musicians. Acclaimed program seeks to provide instruments.
• Girl’s Center: “Where women teach girls how to be women.” Focus: increase girls’ self-esteem and help them set and achieve personal goals, such as a future of financial and social independence. Programs include high-profile speakers, role models, the Girls Poetry Club, and special gender specific resource materials.
• The Club Woodshop: the hands-on creative building center of Off The Street Club. Focus: important outlet for the creative interest and talents of youngsters who want to experience the fun of creating their own projects and the pride of taking their own work home and to school. Lots of life-long useful skills acquired in this great space.
• Camp Mathieu: week long summer camping and weekend winter camping experiences at our beautiful 30-acre resident camp, 30 miles from Chicago. Focus: happy memories of classic summertime activities, such as swimming, camping and nature study. Summer camp provides leadership training for Junior Teen Leader Corps. In the winter months, the camp provides holiday and weekend outings.

To learn more about the Off The Street Club visit www.otsc.org!