Five Questions With: Lara D’Antuono

Lara D’Antuono, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick, joined the organization in 1994 as child care director, and later served as development director. As executive director since 2000, she oversees services provided to more than 1,300 children in two clubs, located in the Norwood and Oakland Beach sections of the city. Here she discusses the clubs’ growth and development of young leaders.

PBN: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about leadership?
D’ANTUONO:
Leadership in its best state is assembling an amazing team. I learned that no one person can know it all; it’s important to develop a team that is smarter than you and seek expertise in fields you need to.
We are a team, and the result of that is a strong club that youth can depend on. In order to be an effective leader, I realized early on that every child is unique, so their needs are all different and we must value them for their uniqueness.

PBN: Describe some of your partnerships and how they’ve helped the club.
D’ANTUONO:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick has always stayed true to its important mission to help youth of all backgrounds, with special concern for those who need us most, and to help them develop the qualities to become responsible citizens and leaders. We have not strayed from that core objective, but when our members need something we can’t supply them with, we rely on our community partners to help us.
One of the best examples is our partnership with the Warwick school department and Aramark, their food services provider. Through this key collaboration, we are able to provide every member at our Oakland Beach facility (an area of high poverty) with a nutritious, hot meal every night. Since September, we have served more than 2,500 meals to children who may otherwise have gone without.
I am currently president of the Warwick 13, a group of nonprofit human service organizations in Warwick. Our team has built relationships with all the members of the Warwick 13, and through these relationships we are able to guide our families to other organizations that can assist them best, whether it’s with heating assistance through West Bay Community Action or elder care through Cornerstone.
Other important partnerships include the Rotary Club of Warwick, the R.I. Foundation Institute for Non Profit Excellence, and numerous, community-minded companies whose critical support helps us deliver top notch programing. Our business partners are the backbone to so many of our programs both through financial contributions as well as volunteers!

PBN: How are you trying to increase participation?
D’ANTUONO:
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick is the only full-time youth development agency in the state’s second largest city. We annually serve more than 1,300 children ages 5 to 18. Our members can participate in our open door programming which focuses on three priority areas: education, healthy lifestyles, and character and leadership.
We also offer before-and-after school childcare programs, vacation and summer camps, and youth sports leagues, all of which are affordably priced.
In order to continue growing our membership we are committed keeping our fees low. An annual membership to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick costs only $30 per year. We also assess where the growing needs and interests of our members are, and develop the appropriate programs as evident in the expansion of our sports leagues and greenhouse initiative.

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PBN: What is your biggest fund raiser?
D’ANTUONO:
Our dinner-dance/auction is our biggest fund raiser. This year’s Mardi Gras-themed event will be at the Warwick Country Club on April 11. We always have a big crowd and a great time! Not only do we have silent and live auctions with fantastic items, we hold a very popular $10,000 cash raffle. Since we only sell 300 chances, the odds of winning are very good!

PBN: How are you developing leaders in the Warwick community?
D’ANTUONO:
As part of our core programming, we offer programs in character and leadership development. Two of these programs are our Torch Club and Keystone Clubs: small group leadership and service clubs for ages 11-13 and 14-18 respectively. Members of these clubs learn to elect officers and work together to implement activities in four areas: Service to club and community, education, health and fitness and social recreation.
Through service activities, members identify club and community needs, develop programs and activities and actively participate in their community. These activities also provide experience in the democratic process. Above all, they give young people a chance to contribute something of value to others.
Examples of Torch & Keystone Club service activities include peer mentoring programs and the Adopt-a-Grandparent programs.
Torch and Keystone Club members also take part in educational activities that focus on personal development. The objective is to have teens develop a moral compass and value qualities such as honesty, justice, fairness and respect for self and others; values they will hold throughout their entire lives.

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