Deneen Busby, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis
Our featured Contact partner this month is Deneen Busby, the vice president of marketing and communications at Boys and Girl Clubs of Greater St. Louis. Ms. Busby is relatively new to Boys and Girls Club—she started at the organization only five months ago—but she has hit the ground running. A fun fact about Ms. Busby is that she once worked as an on-air radio personality as part of the morning show on Majic 104.9! She now uses the communication skills she honed on radio to spread the word about the Boys and Girls Club.
Ms. Busby describes the organization’s work this way: “The Boys and Girls Clubs ensure kids have the tools they need to have great futures.” She adds that the goal is for the kids served through BGCSL to become “productive and caring citizens.” The Clubs provide structured programming for kids ages 5 to 18 at their 11 locations across the metropolitan area. Many of the local clubs are embedded in elementary and middle schools; others, such as the Teen Center of Excellence located in Ferguson and the Mathews-Dickey Club, are community-based sites that serve as neighborhood anchors. Across all locations, the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Louis served nearly 14,000 children and teens last year.
For many residents of the St. Louis metro area, mention of the Boys and Girls Clubs brings to mind high-quality after-school programming. The Clubs’ programs for older youth are less well known. “When people think of the Boys and Girls Club, they think of little kids,” says Ms. Busby. “The biggest thing people don’t know about Boys and Girls Clubs is that we offer structured programming up to age 18.” Indeed, the offerings for teens sound impressive. The St. Louis Internship Program, for example, provides youth with paid internships, career planning, and work readiness skills. Ms. Busby also touts the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, which allows teens to explore technology that can be used for graphic design, music production, animation, and game development.
Inevitably, some youth served by the Boys and Girls Clubs have experienced trauma. These kids receive support as part of their involvement with the Clubs. Ms. Busby explains that therapists work with children at all club locations. In addition, all locations feature “calming rooms” that youth can visit if they feel overwhelmed or upset. These soothing spaces enable kids to engage their senses and regulate their emotions. For youth who need specialized support in the aftermath of a traumatic event, Project CONTACT is just a phone call away. Ms. Busby is enthusiastic about the opportunity for club members to benefit from CONTACT. “There’s no way it couldn’t be helpful to immediately connect with an expert at a time of need,” she says.
If you know a youth who might benefit from Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, or just want to learn more about this organization, visit www.bgcstl.org or call 314-335-8000.