Hayden has spent his career at nonprofits, first working for the Boy Scouts in Glens Falls, where he was a member of the Rotary Club. (He and his family are currently residents of Malta.) Then he ran the Adirondack Folk School in Lake Luzerne, in which capacity he spoke to our club in 2017.
According to their website, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Schenectady serve youths aged 6 to 18 in four clubhouses in the city and one in Rotterdam. They also run Job Junction and after-school programs at six city schools.
The clubs run summer programs in Altamont (Camp Lovejoy), Rotterdam, and at five city parks (three of which have swimming pools they have helped keep open). Also on offer is a career exploration workshop at Schenectady County Community College.
Hayden stressed how the clubs provide safe spaces and mentors, greatly improving graduation rates, and are "a conduit to meaningful jobs." Asked about social problems, he said: "Maybe we can't solve all of it. We can solve some of it, instead of just lamenting."
Next week's speaker will be state Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (a member of our club).
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