A fellow nonprofit of Sarasota is stepping up to ensure thousands of children and teens in Newtown have access to award-winning youth-development programs for years to come. Personalized Estate Liquidation (PEL) Benefiting Youth, Inc.—an affiliation of estate sale company, PEL Consignments, LLC—presented Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County with a $65,000 gift to support its local academic enrichment programs. This generous funding will ensure thousands of children and teens residing in the underserved Newtown neighborhood will have access to youth-development programs for years to come. PEL has been conducting estate sales of fine furniture, art, jewelry, accessories and more since 2017—continually forwarding its proceeds to initatives that ensure youth-serving organizations continue to help at-risk children create paths for success. “We are excited to be contributing and helping the kids of the Boys & Girls Club reach their full potential,” says Sharon Kenworthy, PEL Board President. “We would not be able to make donations of this magnitude without the countless hours our volunteers tirelessly put in from sorting, cleaning, pricing, staging, selling and more.”

Of the total gift amount, a good $50,000 chunk of it will be used to transform an outdated program area into the new PEL Learning Lab. Plans are to fully-renovate the outdated classroom at the Irving and Marilyn Naiditch Campus, home of the Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club, to outfit a newly-refurbished lab outfitted with advanced technology, equipment and supplies. The generous grant will allow the nonprofit to integrate an enriching 21st century learning environment and ultimately foster further academic success. This award is the second gift in support of the major capital expansion and remodel project—joining Marilyn Naiditch’s $1 million lead gift made in honor of her late husband and long-time Boys & Girls Clubs Board member Irving Naiditch. 

The remaining $15,000 will support Boys & Girls Club's educational curriculum designed by youth development professionals that supplements students’ school experience and helps them meet state academic standards such as STEM demonstrations, lessons in robotics and group-tutoring sessions. “PEL’s demonstrated commitment to our community’s future leaders enables our organization to provide greater opportunities for them to achieve their full potential,” says Bill Sadlo, President/CEO at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. “This gift will connect youth to educational resources, inspire life-long learning in a state-of-the-art classroom and have long-term impact.”

To learn more about this capital project, call 941-366-3911 or visit bgcsarasota.com. 

Photo courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County