COMPANY NEWSLETTER ARTICLE - BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB

Uline Inspires – Larry Barry and Marian Koleno CORP’s Larry Barry and Marian Koleno are helping to turn dreams into reality for youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha by volunteering their time and talents in very significant, yet very different ways.

Larry, who has been with Uline for six years as Senior Corporate Counsel, has been a member on the Board of Directors for the Club since March 2012. It was through Uline’s CFO Frank Unick that Larry found out about the volunteer opportunity and decided to participate. “I was looking for something like this to do for the kids,” says Larry.

As a board member, Larry helps make major decisions for programming and the budget. He also acts as a fundraising ambassador for the Club in the community. “I’m always getting people to donate money and time,” he says. Most of his work is focused on raising funds for the Club’s programs by helping to manage special events, like the Golf Outing at Kenosha Country Club or the heavily attended Dairy State Beer & Cheese Festival at The Brat Stop in Kenosha. He helps with the Capital Campaign, a call out to the community for donations and money to provide equipment for the facility. “The biggest satisfaction I get is knowing it works and what we’re doing is extraordinarily effective in keeping kids in school. Kids end up going to college!” says Larry. He looks forward to hearing success stories at the annual “Youth of the Year Recognition Event” where kids are honored for their outstanding accomplishments.

“That’s the whole reason why we do this – to get these kids in a better position to succeed.” Larry believes the most helpful program for kids is the “Power Hour,” an after-school program where dedicated staff offer kids assistance with their homework. “Having a place to go that’s organized with activities keeps them out of trouble,” he says.

Marian, a Private Label Designer who has been with Uline for two years, has volunteered her time once a week for almost four years. She helps kids to set goals and offers a great support system for them. “I want to let the kids know that I do care about them and their futures,” she says. Originally from Kenosha, Marian wants to give something back to the community and has found that by giving kids consistency and structure in their lives, the Club helps them prepare for their futures. “It’s a great place for kids to go when they have nowhere else to go,” she says. As an aid to group leaders helping teens between the ages of 15 and 17, she sometimes may work with up to 50 kids at a time. Whether it’s with “Project Learn” that helps kids with homework and educational enhancement or with “Sports Fanatics,” where they play a different sport each week, she loves helping. “It’s fun to run around, laugh and interact with them!” she says.

She too looks forward to the Youth of the Year Recognition Event. “The coolest thing is seeing the kids win, especially when they have so much to overcome. It’s inspiring!” she says. The Boys & Girls Club serves nearly 8,000 youth from Kenosha and the surrounding communities and is the area’s largest provider of after-school activities, sports and recreation programs, youth employment opportunities and delinquency prevention programs.

Approximately 96% of all the youth who participate in the Club’s programs have lower rates of school suspensions and discipline issues than others not involved in the Club. Here kids have the opportunity to do all the right things for attaining goals − or perhaps discovering them.