Boys & Girls Clubs Merge

The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of New Haven and the Ulbrich BGC of Wallingford and North Haven announced Tuesday that they will merge in order to expand services to youth recovering from the impacts of the Covid pandemic while also bridging the three towns’ ​“cultural boundaries.”

Regional leaders of local Boys and Girls Clubs announced the merger Tuesday morning outside of the Columbus Avenue Boys and Girls Club of New Haven. 

The clubs now merged into one will operate as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven (BGCGNH).

The merger will prevent the need to close any of the currently existing clubhouses in the three towns and will help the organization expand to more sites in the coming years to work with more youth, officials said. 

BGCGNH Board Vice President of Operations Marilyn Burlenski emceed the Tuesday event and gave thanks to volunteer Interim Executive Director Barbara Chesler for keeping the New Haven club afloat amidst the pandemic. 

The merger will create one of the largest organizations in South Central Connecticut serving youth, leaders said.

The merger has been a work in progress for the past 16 months. 

Hill Alder Ron Hurt once again thanked Chesler for leadership that ​“weathered the storm” of Covid in New Haven. 

He said he looks forward to the merger ​“closing cultural boundaries” among New Haven, North Haven, and Wallingford. 

“Wallingford is our neighbor, but the cultural divide is deep,” he said. 

The organization will be looking to hire site coordinators, a financial officer, program leaders, and youth development professionals, said BGCGNH Board Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Tammie Ulbrich.

North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda told a story about his childhood connection to the BGC: At 9 years old, Freda observed his father, a factory worker, make a annual donation to the BGC because of the impact it had on him in his youth. Freda’s father had been 9 years old when his own father died. Amid household financial hardship, Freda’s father got help ​“staying on track” with help from the BGC. His father later told him that the BGC provided the resources that ​“we as a family desperately needed.”

Current New Haven club member Tracine Allen, 14, spoke about the impact the BGC has had on her life. 

Tracine joined the BGC at 6 years old. She has returned every year since to make memories with friends and learn from mentors who are staff. 

“I found people I can trust and talk with when I needed to,” she said. 

Over the years Allen most enjoyed the BGC dance program, which has since been discontinued.

Allen is interested in becoming a hair stylist or a criminal profiler, a job idea that came about because of her love of Criminal Minds.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Lorraine Orr said the merger will broaden the reach and impact of the Boys and Girls Clubs to thousands of more young people.

She said that amid an increase in academic, social, and emotional declines nationwide, ​“Boys and Girls Clubs are a part of the solution.” 

Mayor Justin Elicker described the merger as ​“more fun” to come for the youth.

As former executive director of the New Haven Land Trust, Elicker recalled the difficulty of merging organizations — along with the benefits that can come from it. 

Elicker also highlighted youth opportunities at the soon-to-be-reborn Barbell Club Youth Center in the Hill, which the city has received state money to rebuild.

The Tuesday celebration also announced the new executive director of BGCGNH, Lisa Caruso, who will lead the expansion.

Caruso has worked in senior leadership roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG).

“Together we can make a difference,” she said.