Home Club Zoe, Inc.
Breathing life into the Neighbor "hood"
Club Zoe, which started as an outreach of Reigning Life Family Church, has been serving urban children and their families in the South End of Albany, New York, for the past ten years. Providing meals and a safe environment for the kids launched the program in 2001. The current solutions
based programs and services evolved as
a result of the staff's interactions and experiences with hundreds of children and their families over the past decade. Today, thanks to the tireless efforts of faithful volunteers and the generosity of many people, Club Zoe has been able to expand its programs to help meet the needs of the children and families in its community.
PRESS BUTTON BELOW
TO DONATE!
Do you see the grief in this mother's eyes and the anguish on her son's face? Your gift to Club Zoe will help keep kids like this young man off dangerous streets, provide an evening meal, supply meaningful activities in a safe haven, and possibly save or change a child's life.
Club Zoe thanks:
Rick and Carol Strohman of CAROL'S PLACE
Wynantskill, NY for providing meals for our kids for the past 10 years!
Mark Bailey , owner
Delphi Technology Advisors for maintaining the computers for the academic program!
The Presidential Honor Society for their continued help with the Study Buddy Program and Tae Kwon Do
plus the new SUNY groups.
Immediate Needs: Finances to purchase Active Parenting Now materials & enroll students in Passkey Academic Program!
The Dream
Great it is to dream
the dream, when you stand in youth by the starry stream, But a greater thing is to fight life through, And say at the end,"The dream is true!"
Author Unknown
Club Zoe is about people coming together to make our world, which happens to be the South End of Albany, a better place. It is people joining together arm in arm to create a safe environment where children can have fun, learn, and thrive in an atmosphere of love and caring. It is about putting smiles on children's faces and hearing laughter in their voices. Sadly December 29th began with the news that Nacream Moore, a teen who used to play basketball on Club Zoe's court and enjoy meals there with friends, is now dead, shot in close proximity to an altar on the street for a another young victim of violence. How the heart aches at these young lives snuffed out so suddenly, kids who had a destiny now gone.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
-Scoutmaster and Assistants
-Tutors for academic program and homework
-Monitors
-Fundraising
Please contact Evelyn Sanles for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS -Open House Ten Year Celebration for Club Zoe, Inc. Jan. 13th was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who supported the event. We especially thank The Honorable U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko, representing the 21st District of New York, for his presence and participation in the event.
Page 2 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The elementary after-school program includes a snack, homework
help, supervised recreation, and circle time. Other programs
parents can choose for their children are Meal Time and the weekly
Tae Kwon Do class.
Weekly Schedule of Programs for Elementary Students
3:00 to 5:30pm After-School Program - Monday -Friday
5:30 to 6:00pm Meal Time - Monday - Friday
*6:30 to 7:30pm Tae Kwon Do - Thursdays
*Represents programs run by SUNY students which are only available when college is in
session.
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
The youth programs are offered in a supervised environment to help foster the development of intellectual, emotional, and social skills. Students can choose to participate in a variety of weekly programs including Meal Time, Tae Kwon Do class, Study Buddies, Time To Connect , and Boy Scouts . The formal weekly Tae Kwon Do class is in its fourth year and is taught by members of the SUNY Women's Tae Kwon Do team. Study Buddies , which is in its 5th year, is conducted by members of the prestigious Presidential Honor Society at SUNY. The Boy Scout Troop was formed in 2005 and has been a very active troop with its first scout earning the prestigious Eagle Scout Award last year. Time To Connect provides an evening for discussion with a member of the community or clergy. The future Culinary Arts class will be taught in the spacious, new commercial kitchen. Other enrichment activities will be offered as instructors become available. Students who only choose to participate in the recreation program can participate in basketball, games on the Wii and XBox 360, pool, and ping pong.
The college visitation program introduces many students to college for the first time, provides them the opportunity to learn about college life, and engages them in their pursuit of higher education. Students have visited the campuses of SUNY and RPI in the past, with the addition of more colleges this year.
Past field trips include the Basketball Hall of Fame, Six Flags, The Great Escape, Harlem
Globetrotters, college sporting events, youth conferences, movies, snowboarding, ice skating,
and bowling. The Boy Scout program offers many additional opportunities such as the fall
and spring camporee, summer camp, hiking, flag ceremonies, and parades. Students may also
participate in community service projects such as Make a Difference Day.
Weekly Schedule of Programs for Middle and High School Students
5:30 to 8:00pm Recreation Program - Monday -Friday
6:00 to 6:30pm Meal Time - Monday -Friday
6:30 to 8:00pm Homework Time - Monday-Thursday
*6:30 to 7:30pm Study Buddies - Tuesday
7:00 to 8:00pm Time To Connect - Wednesday
*6:30 to 7:30pm Tae Kwon Do - Thursday (Basketball is not available during this class)
*Represents programs run by SUNY students which are only available when college is in
session.
Cheryl Walther and Darnell Glenn with students
Teen Girls in the Office
Youth listening to community leader
Awards Ceremony May 2011
Page 3 
SUNY PROGRAMS
Presidential Honor Society (PHS) Programs include Study Buddies and Tae Kwon Do. The Study Buddies program, currently coordinated by Briana Jilson, is a
weekly study time when the college students provide homework help, tutor, or play educational games with Club Zoe students. This program is in its fifth year.
The Tae Kwon Do class is a formal class that meets weekly and is in its fourth year.
Michele Feder, a member of the female Tae Kwon Do team at SUNY, and two assistants teach the class. Michele began the class in her freshman year at SUNY and has continued to her senior year. The class has been very successful with several students expected to earn their black belt by the end of this school year.
Another SUNY group, D.R.E.A.M. which stands for Dedicating Resources to Educate and Motivate, recently hosted an all day event at SUNY to help youth learn about college life. Seven students from Club Zoe chose to participate in this event.
College Visitation
SUNY
Study Buddies
Tae Kwon Do Class
Boy Scouts 
Jeremy Sepulveda Earns Eagle Scout Award
October 2010
SCOUTING PROGRAM
Boy Scout Troop 1413 serves youth from 11 to 17 years old. The boys go on camping trips, field trips to professional sporting events, serve as color guards at formal banquets, march in parades, and discover the friendship that being part of a troop can bring. The structure of scouting also provides goals to encourage the boys to learn new skills, and master new tasks by earning badges to progress through the ranks to earn their Eagle Scout Award.
Boy Scout Troop 1413 was first chartered in 2004, and has been a very active troop providing the scouts the opportunity to participate in many valuable activities. The scouts in collaboration with college students conducted several neighborhood clean-ups through SUNY's Make a Difference Day. They have also helped with walks to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors Program. Scouts have climbed several mountains including Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. The troop worked diligently to support an Eagle Scouts project. They collected items, filled 43 care packages, and mailed them to a patroon of Marines serving in Iraq.
Boy Scout Troop 1413 is dedicated to helping boys grow and mature into leaders. The troop has had three campers earn the Honor Camper of the Week Award at the Rotary Summer Camp. The troop has also had one scout, Jeremy Sepulveda, earn the prestigious Eagle Scout Award in October of 2010. Three young scouts are currently in pursuit of this most honorable award.
Boy Scout Troop 1413 is currently in need of a new Scout Master. Interested applicants can contact Evelyn Sanles at 518-892-7729 or by email at evelyn_clubzoe.org
page 4 EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY
Educational advocacy is a service provided to families of children enrolled in Club Zoe.
With parental permission, program staff visits the children's schools and speaks with
students' teachers regarding their progress and any behavioral issues that may need
to be addressed. The staff seeks to work collaboratively with the child's school and
parents when possible. The staff is also available to attend team meetings with parents
upon request. A professional advocate is also available to attend district meetings with
parents of children with disabilities.
YOUTH ADVOCACY
Youth advocacy is available for families of a young person who has gotten into legal
trouble or is incarcerated. Youth advocacy involves attendance at court hearings, writing
letters on the child's behalf, jail consultation and counseling, and serving as a liaison
between the child's family and the court system.
COUNSELING
Counseling is available for the families of students enrolled in Club Zoe by a licensed
clinical pastoral counselor and Certified Temperament Therapist. The counselor helps the
family members understand that each is a unique human being with different needs and desires. The family is coached to help them relate to one another in an effective manner by recognizing and understanding their individual differences and needs.
page 5 FORMAL ACADEMICS
Passkey Learning System is an online computerized academic program that has been approved by the New York State Department of Education to meet the New York State Learning Standards. Passkey pre-tests followed by prescriptive lessons help identify and correct learning gaps which exist and prevent a student from being able to complete academics at the secondary level. The main focus of Passkey with students at Club Zoe is to improve literacy skills in the area of English/Language Arts and Math. Other core subject areas can be taught through Passkey Learning System once a student tests at grade level in the foundational subjects of English/Language Arts and Math. This formal academic program is currently available to the middle and high school students at Club Zoe.
Meal Time MEAL TIME
Realizing that kids always like to eat, an evening meal is provided from Monday through Friday and an afternoon meal on Sunday at Club Zoe. The meals are prepared onsite in the commercial kitchen and served to any children attending 1st through12th grades.
Meal Time is from 5:30 to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday for elementary school children.
Meal Time is from 6:00 to 6:30 pm for middle and high school students Monday through Friday.
Chef Robert Losee Preparing Meals
in New Commercial Kitchen
Elementary Students
Middle and HIgh School Students
Blank02 PARENTING
Realizing that teen pregnancy is on the rise and many young adults are becoming parents at an early age, parenting classes will be offered this winter which are taught by Active Parenting certified leaders. The initial classes will focus on parents of young children from birth through age five. The classes will begin with a pizza social and time of sharing. Child care will be provided during the classes to allow parents to fully participate. Active Parenting helps parents develop parenting skills that promote emotional well-being in children, and a foundation for the development of positive social relationships throughout life. Active Parenting Publishers has produced materials and parenting classes that are listed in SAMHSAs National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. For more information about Active Parenting, please visit w ww.activeparenting.com
Blank03 
HISTORY
Club Zoe first started in the year 2001 when children and youth from Albany's South End began attending Reigning Life Family Church's Friday night outreach. The group rapidly grew to nearly a hundred children in attendance. The church realized it needed to create a place for the children, and was awarded a grant from the NYSDOH to create a mini gym, game room, and commercial kitchen. As a result, the Dream Club was formally opened in April of 2003, and mainly focused on serving the children meals each day and providing them recreation in a safe, supervised environment. In 2005, the Dream Club was renamed Club Zoe and became a non-profit organization in the state of New York, and in 2007 it became a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. A Boy Scout Troop was established in 2005 that recently produced its first Eagle Scout. Because many of the students at Club Zoe attend failing public schools or schools in need of improvement, an after-school program that provides formal academic instruction was established in 2007 utilizing Passkey Learning Systems, an approved curriculum that supports the New York State Learning Standards. It was at this time that the organization began to collaborate with the Presidential Honor Society at SUNY. This prestigious group of college students began a weekly Study Buddy's program that included homework help and academic support and continues today. The next year, several members of the Women's Tae Kwon Do team at SUNY started a formal Tae Kwon Do class that has gained popularity each year. Recently the spacious commercial kitchen was completed to cook meals for the students as well as serve as a classroom for a future culinary arts class.
After a decade of developing services for children in Albany's South End, Club Zoe now looksforward to expanding its services to meet broader needs of the family with the addition of professional counseling and parenting classes. Parenting classes that reflect today's rapidly changing society will soon be available to help strengthen the family unit, and bring peace and harmony to stress-ridden homes. In addition, the elementary after-school program is a program of excellence that has been developed over the past three years. The acquisition of this program allows Club Zoe to expand its services to a wider age range of children.
Events 
Children's Christmas Party
New Visions Volunteers with Santa
at Children's Christmas Party
Christmas 2011
Grace Fellowship Youth Volunteers
Thomas Mungeer of the NYS Troopers PBA Signal 30 Fund
presented checks and gifts to Club Zoe for 2010 & 2011 Christmas parties.
Santa's Teen Helpers
Staff
Ilze Luneau Performs Basketball Feats
at Club Zoe's Fall Festival
FUEL Conference
Blank04 
MESSAGE FROM THE HEART
As I reflect upon the early history of Club Zoe, I realize that it was the children who founded this organization. For the past decade, children with the same needs, dreams, potential, and promise as other kids, but often lacking the resources to survive and thrive, have passed through Club Zoe's doors. Their stories differ, but some I have watched unfold as if I were watching a Hollywood movie. I have held children when they have been hurt and confused after a family member stole from them to support an addictive habit. I have been in homes where the only heat in the harsh northeast weather has come from the open door of the gas oven. I have comforted a little girl who told me she had been raped the week before. Courts and jails have become familiar places to me, having visited too many incarcerated teens serving time for senseless crimes. It is these children that keep me going, seeking solutions, and refusing to quit. They are children of great strength and fortitude who are resilient and continue to get back up and fight for another day and another chance at life. It is because of them that Club Zoe exists and must continue to expand and implement solutions to the many challenges plaguing them and their families. Will you help us help a child, a mom, a grandmother who is raising her children's children alone? The time for the expansion of Club Zoe is now, and I thank everyone who is willing to get in this battle with us through your support, and help us touch the lives of these precious children and their families.
Lovingly,
Evelyn Sanles
Evelyn Sanles has dedicated herself to the development of Club Zoe since the children founded it in 2001. She holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Clemson University and has a Master of Science Degree in Special Education from Russell Sage College. She was awarded a lifetime membership in the New York State Parent Teachers Association and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. She is a licensed clinical pastoral counselor and a Certified Temperament Therapist who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical Christian counseling. Her belief is that life in the neighbor "hood" can be good, and people can blossom where they are planted with the right ingredients of love, respect, and support.
"My love for these children keeps me going, seeking solutions, and refusing to quit. They are children of great strength and fortitude who are resilient and continue to get back up and fight for another day and another chance at life."
