Founded 50 years ago under a national program, Glastonbury A Better Chance (GABC) on New London Turnpike has helped nearly 100 boys from underserved communities attend and graduate Glastonbury High School, enroll in some of the top colleges and universities in the country, and become highly-regarded leaders in government, business and nonprofit organizations.
Headquartered in the Baldwin House, a more than 100-year-old renovated home within walking distance to the high school, GABC provides a supervised, live-in experience for up to eight high school-age boys each year.
The young men are selected from cities across the East Coast based upon their academic record, personal motivation and leadership promise. They live, free of charge, in Baldwin House (which is owned and maintained by GABC) during the school year and are supervised by two paid, live-in resident directors (RDs). Each student is also paired with a host family in the community who provides stability and guidance to the young men, and they spend every Wednesday evening and one weekend per month together.
“The host families, the GABC board and the RDs, provide educational, emotional, and personal support to help each scholar reach their full potential,” says Walt Shea, vice president of the GABC Board of Directors.
After graduating high school, the students go on to attend college and graduate school, many choosing from among such prestigious institutions as Trinity College, University of Connecticut, Cornell, Dartmouth, Fordham, New York Institute of Technology, Colgate and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, to name a few.
Founded in 1974 by a group of local residents, the GABC is one of nine A Better Chance programs in Connecticut. It operates with an annual budget of about $100,000, which is solely derived from local donors, including businesses and individuals.
Now in its 50th year, the GABC and its all-volunteer Board of Directors are seeking to reintroduce themselves to the community and broaden the public’s awareness of what they do, who they are and, most importantly, the young people they serve.
The board is planning a 50th Anniversary Gala dinner on Sept. 21, to raise funds and awareness of GABC.
“The celebration dinner will include an auction and a raffle, and ticket sales will help raise operating funds for GABC”, says Rhonda Rawlins, the board’s president. In addition, she says, “We are also looking for businesses to become sponsors of our program.”
“For 50 years, GABC has prepared young men for future success while bringing vibrant scholars to Glastonbury, who contribute as much to the community as they receive,” the board says in a recent fundraising letter to the community. “This year we are celebrating that history while planning for the future. We are asking that you help sustain our organization by becoming a sponsor of our 50th Anniversary Gala and an ongoing partner as we continue the important mission of providing young men ‘A Better Chance!’”
GABC is looking for two host families for the upcoming school year and are always looking for new volunteers and board members. For more information on volunteer or sponsorship opportunities or tickets to the 50th Anniversary, visit glastonburyabc.org or email info@glastonburyabc.org.
Other ways to contribute to GABC:
1. Check to Glastonbury A Better Chance, P.O. Box 502, Glastonbury, CT 06033.
2. Paypal, via our website, Glastonburyabc.org
3. Employee Giving or Matching Gifts. Contact your employer or email us at info@glastonburyabc.org (United Way #5392).