Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley alumna gives back to community

This is a feel-good story about an amazing young woman, Raylene Amador, who, as a Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley (BGCCV) alumna, is giving back to her community. It was during her formidable years from the age of 7 up until she left for college that she experienced valuable after-school mentorship at the BGCCV, which inspired her to earn many academic achievements and fulfill her career goals.

The BGCCV is all about bringing a brighter future to the mostly low-income children who walk through the doors of its four busy clubhouses in Indio, La Quinta, Coachella and Mecca. Once inside, these youths are exposed to a nurturing environment that inspires, educates and encourages advanced learning, sports, arts, business skills, computer skills and comradery. It is also a positive place where they can get a nutritious hot meal and feel safe and special. What is most impressive about BGCCV is that 96% of its club kids complete high school on time and 80% go on to attend college with 87% of those graduating.

Many of the kids who excel in BGCCV programs receive BGCCV college scholarships, and many alumni return to give back and serve their home communities just like Amador.

"Receiving a scholarship from BGCCV made all the difference," she says. "Being the first in my family to go to college, the experience was very unfamiliar. However, BGCCV offered the support that helped me through it. BGCCV not only helped financially but also with the process of applying to schools and for financial aid. I couldn't go to my parents or family members to help me with this process because they hadn't done it themselves."

Amador has always considered BGCCV her extended family. She credits the organization for helping her figure out what to do along the way. She is very grateful for their ongoing guidance. She went to school in Omaha, Neb., at Grace University. She graduated in 2017 with a double major in psychology and Christian ministry. During the summers at college, she returned home to work at BGCCV's Mecca's Club as a staff member, helping in the kitchen and wherever she was needed.

She received her master's from Brandman University in 2019 in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy and professional clinical counseling. Amador now owns her own business called Ray of Hope Counseling in Indio and is helping to establish the Youth Mental Health Collaborative program as a therapist professional for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley 30 hours a week.

The program addresses the juvenile mental health crisis, which, here in the Coachella Valley, surpasses state and national figures. Parents and educators are concerned about the extreme anxiety and depression experienced by young people due to the impact on learning and the 18-month pandemic absence from peer-to-peer and teacher-student interactions. The response from parents has been positive. Frustrated parents untrained in mental health care are appreciative as they tout the services that are helping their kids move forward.

Members of BGCCV's professional health care team are making a difference in so many young lives.

"I feel overwhelmed with gratitude coming back to the BGCCV as a professional," Amador says. "It's a blessing and it's something I've always dreamed about since I was a club kid. I always had in my heart to come back and help because I remember being a kid and seeing my peers needing extra support. The club was the best part of my childhood, so to be a part of the club in a different capacity is my pleasure. I desire to help BGCCV from the inside out so that this generation and the generations to come can be well in every capacity and go out and do great things."

It is important to the staff of BGCCV that their "kids" feel safe at the four BGCCV clubhouses. These clubs are a haven for them to process their emotions, build strong character and realize their potential.

"Under the direction of someone like Raylene, a therapist professional, the long-term goal for this project is to train and/or bring on more mentors/caseworkers to push this mental health initiative to the limit for the 5,000 plus families we service," says Quinton Egson, president and CEO of BGCCV.

DeAnn Lubell, writer, novelist and publicist, has represented nonprofits and businesses in the areas of marketing, event planning and fundraising productions in the Coachella Valley since 1991. She is a PR and marketing representative for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley and Read With Me Volunteer Programs as well as her own nonprofit Amy's Purpose, an educational pet safety and predator awareness and counseling service.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley alumna gives back to community