JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Whether they’re serving the homeless or providing gifts for
children from abusive homes, the high school students who belong to Joint Base
San Antonio-Randolph Youth Programs’ Keystone Club are positioning themselves
as tomorrow’s community leaders and productive members of society.
The Keystone Club, a Boys & Girls Clubs of America teen
leadership program founded more than 50 years ago, meets students’ needs for
positive group experiences, and allows them to grow as leaders by making
decisions and serving others.
“Keystone Club members are the leaders of tomorrow,” said
Andrea Black, JBSA-Randolph Youth Programs coordinator and Keystone Club
sponsor. “Keystone promotes character and leadership in its teens so they’re
able to serve their communities, achieve academic success and prepare for their
careers.”
The club, which consists of some 20 members, meets
Wednesdays at 5 p.m. at Youth Programs, where they plan upcoming events and
fundraisers, listen to guest speakers and address a variety of topics.
Community service plays an integral role in the club’s
activities, which include monthly visits to a San Antonio nursing home and
special projects
Last year, members participated in their own “Hope for the
Homeless” project.
“For six months we collected items for a ‘street survival
kit,’” said club president Bryttney London, a 17-year-old senior at Randolph
High School. “We filled more than 100 gallon-size zip-lock bags and filled them
with toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, lotions, soap, lip balm, granola bars
and water.”
The survival kits were distributed to homeless members of
the San Antonio community during a spaghetti dinner in March at Travis Park
United Methodist Church.
“Keystone members cooked the dinner and served more than 75
homeless folks,” Black said. “They took part in prepping and serving all the
food, providing fellowship and passing out the survival kits. It was a very
eye-opening and humbling experience for all parties.”
Club sergeant-at-arms Amber Bigio, who is also a 17-year-old
senior at Randolph, found the spaghetti dinner an emotional event.
“After sitting there with our guests, I realized it can
happen to anybody,” she said. “I also saw that they really appreciated what we
did.”
Some of the club’s other past projects include donating
scarves and hats for cancer patients and contributing $250 to the M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center in Houston; purchasing Christmas gifts for 25 children who were
removed from abusive homes and hosting a holiday party for the children;
collecting more than $4,000 in clothes, games and toys for children at the
SAMMinistries shelter; and buying and designing rubber bracelets and water
bottles with the message “Luv>H8” for their “Operation Be a Friend” project
at last year’s Youth Programs Famaganza. For “Operation Be a Friend,”
participants were asked to pledge to be bully-free and help to stop bullying in
their schools and community.
One of the club’s fundraising avenues is their snack bar at
Youth Programs, where hot dogs, Frito pies, baked goods and pickles are
available. The snack bar is open during Youth Programs’ hours of operation and
on weekends when games are being played at the center.
Keystone members are currently looking forward to events in
the next few months.
“February is Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month, so our
students will be attending seminars, writing essays and taking part in a public
service announcement about teen dating,” Black said.
Youth Programs will be the site of two forums during Teen
Dating Violence Prevention Month.
Club members are also busy preparing for the National
Keystone Conference March 17-20 in Dallas. The club will play a prominent role
since London is serving on the conference steering committee. London, Bigio and
Darian Elkins, a 17-year-old senior at Steele High School, have also been
selected as teen ambassadors to the event.
During the conference, more than 2,000 members worldwide
socialize with their peers, explore relevant issues and develop skills to
enhance their local efforts.
Keystone members agree the club has played an important role
in their growth.
Bigio said she was not happy when she first came to
Randolph, but with Black’s intervention and a subsequent introduction to
London, her attitude changed.
“Bryttney introduced me to Keystone and told me it would be
cool there,” she said. “I’m proud of the person Keystone has allowed me to
become.”
London said Keystone helped her develop her voice.
“I started speaking up more and was able to become a
leader,” she said. “When you’re in Keystone, you have respectability. People
take you seriously.”
Elkins said membership in Keystone changed her from a
“control freak to a real leader.”
“It showed me how to deal with other people,” she said. “I
made friends and became more self-confident.”
Black said JBSA-Randolph’s Keystone Club, which has achieved
Legacy Society status, Keystone’s highest club category, is “like a family.”
“They look out for each other,” she said. “What they
do matters – they know how to make good choices. When they’re out in the
community, I beam with pride.”