For Wertz Club director: the mission is key
When Katie Williams graduated with a teaching degree in 1995, little did she know that her ability to teach would not be confined within the walls of a classroom but would stretch to encompass the full range of intellectual, emotional and physical development advocated by Boys & Girls Clubs.
As the director of the Wertz Club in Shelby Township and through her positions at a Boys & Girls Club in Hayward, WI, and the Wilson Club in Auburn Hills, she has guided hundreds of kids through a rewarding childhood and toward a brighter future.
At the Native American reservation Club in Hayward, she implemented the SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention and education program, which teaches abstinence of drugs, alcohol and premature sexual activity. Through the program, she taught kids to be assertive and make good choices so they could develop a positive self-identity and practice healthy habits.
Katie has been working at Boys & Girls Clubs for a decade, including 7-1/2 years at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan (B&GCSM). Her job loyalty is summed up in the Clubs' mission: B&GCSM is a youth development organization providing a positive environment that enables its members to become responsible, self-reliant, caring adults!
Katie's three children, Dalen, 14, Darryl, 10, and Katelyn, 9, are members at the Wertz Club. Williams says she would have benefitted from the services of a Club when she was growing up. "When I look back at my childhood and see what a Club could have done for me, it would have helped," she said, candidly. "I was hanging out and getting into trouble. It would have been different if I could have come to a safe place and talked with an adult whose primary concern was to guide kids along the right path."
The Club's professional staff supplements the role of parents. In families without two adults in the household or where there are domestic problems due to substance abuse, economic instability or violence, the staff's role can be life-saving.
"Being able to influence a child's life keeps me totally involved," said Katie. She recalled being able to help change the outlook of a teenage girl who was very angry when she first came to the Wertz Club. As an adopted child, the girl directed much of her anger toward her birth mother. "To see the transformation of this girl changing from an angry adolescent into a fine young lady was amazing."
In another instance, Katie and her staff helped bring out the best in a shy, introverted teenage boy. Once he joined the Keystone Club, he was soon elected president. In that role, he became more vocal and outspoken on issues where he could make a difference. Since then, he has gained tremendous confidence and leadership skills. He recently completed his sophomore year at Central Michigan University and is looking forward to a bright future.
Both of these kids were selected, in consecutive years, as Youth of the Year at the Wertz Club.
Katie also leads the Wertz Club in community collaborations. Both the Torch Club and Keystone Club participate in the annual clean-up of 21 Mile Rd. and Relay for Life. The Keystone Club also prepared nearly 80 Easter baskets from donated goods for Macomb County social services to give to foster kids and raised money for Haiti Relief.
Katie thrives on making a difference in the lives of children. "These kids only see their teachers about one hour a day. To be able to spend time with another caring adult in a safe environment is so important. We guide the kids and often interact with their parents - we want these kids to be the best they can be."
The Club is now a site for the Macomb County TEENS program, funded by Michigan Works! This program offers Training, Employment, Education and Nurturing Services to 11th and 12th grade students to help them prepare for future careers. Participants can attend up to 18 separate programs, many developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). "This comprehensive program helps members and other participants develop a positive attitude with skills to match, to give their career a jump-start," Katie said.
