UNION LEAGUE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS

For nearly 140 years, the Union League Club of Chicago (ULC) has upheld the sacred obligations of citizenship, promoted honesty and efficiency in government, supported cultural institutions and the beautification of the city, and supported our nation’s military and their families. Today, the ULC continues its pursuit to remain committed to community including the active involvement of its members and their support of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs.

For 100 years, the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs have served the after-school development needs of at-risk youth in Chicago. The Union League Boys and Girls Club was founded December 26, 1919 and became an affiliate member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America on February 23, 1920. The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs strives to enable all young people - especially those who need them most - to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. Currently, Clubs serve more than 14,700 enrolled members between the ages of 6 and 18 at 11 locations. Each day, more than 2,000 youth take part in programming focused on academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship. The organization also staffs and manages its own 247-acre summer camp in Salem, Wisconsin where youth from Chicago’s inner city participate in enrichment activities in an environment free from drugs, gangs and violence. The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs also launched a programming initiative at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center aimed at reducing the high rate of recidivism among the juvenile detainees. The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs help youth prepare to reach their full potential! In 1919, Club One in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood provided a safe place for a young man who had just lost his father as World War I came to an end in Europe. Ninety- six years later, a female high school student at Club Two finds a place to safely assert herself as a leader among her peers through community service, and a young boy at the Barreto Club feels free to pursue his interest in science without fear of being ridiculed by the “cool” kids at his school. The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs in 2015 opened a school-based site in Englewood. Compelled to make a difference and to help make a change three (3) additional school based sites opened in 2017 in Englewood. Eight of our locations are school-based. Thanks to the generous support of its donors and programming partners, the youth of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs have the opportunity to succeed in life and to find their voices in the world.