About Us
Our Mission
To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Our club provides a safe place to learn and grow; ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals; life-enhancing programs and character development experiences; and hope and opportunity.
Our History
For 95 years, Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle has been an integral part of the community, offering quality, achievement-driven programming focused on the whole child -encompassing academics, mental wellness, fitness, leadership, and civics.
Since our founding, thousands of children and teens of all backgrounds have come through our doors and moved on to become responsible, successful adults and community-minded citizens. Many come back to help nurture tomorrow’s leaders as volunteers, mentors, and members of our leadership team. This ongoing commitment to youth development is a hallmark of our 95-year history of service..
In 1929, the stock market crashed, the depression began, and many families fell on hard times. To help support parents in need and offer local children with a safe, nurturing refuge, the New Rochelle community joined together to build the Boys' Club at the Washington School Building on Union Avenue. Since then, the club has grown significantly in size and scale to continually meet the needs of youth and families in New Rochelle and beyond.
Following the opening of the Washington School club, community demand for youth services continued to increase. The organization responded by opening a South Side unit at the old Jefferson School on Weyman Avenue and the Remington Clubhouse, which was established in a home on Winthrop Avenue. In 1953, a new clubhouse was built on Guion Place and, in 1972, the Remington Women's Auxiliary Club and other community members spearheaded the addition of a new gymnasium, game room, shower, and locker room, and office to the existing building.In 1983, the South Side unit was moved to a new building at 50 Weyman Avenue and, in 2006, merged with the A.E. Mascaro Clubhouse. In 2001, the Respect Extension was opened at 570 Fifth Avenue at the MacLeay Apartment Complex, owned by the New Rochelle Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation.
Three years later, Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle (BGCNR) again expanded to meet the changing needs of local youth by partnering with the City of New Rochelle School District to provide after-school programs as part of the 21st Century Program - a federally funded grant under the No Child Left Behind initiative - at Isaac E. Young Middle School. This partnership grew in 2008 to provide programs for teens and focus on physical fitness. Later that year, BGCNR opened its first school-based site at Trinity Elementary School and an after-school program at Ward Elementary school. In 2013, the club launched an after school program at New Rochelle High School and, today, operates programs at all New Rochelle schools, as well as sites in the Mamaroneck and Ossining school districts.
Today, BGCNR continues to create lasting positive impact due to the efforts of our staff, supporters, and donors; with their support we now serve over 8,000 youth annually at our two clubhouses and 16 school sites throughout Westchester County.