From her internships in college with non-profits, working at the United Way during graduate school, and now having been a part of the Boys & Girls Club for 20 plus years, Alison Martin says that her attraction to community projects and helping is in her DNA and has always been important to her.
Martin started her career at the Hammond Club in 1993 and in 2013, she came on board as the Director of Resource Development for the Porter County Clubs where she has been working to help the South Haven, Valparaiso, Portage, and Duneland clubs thrive since day one.
Alison says that the Boys & Girls Club is her passion.
“We can provide all the equipment in the world to our kids, but what really makes a difference are those relationships between the youth development staff who mentor and the kids that come into the clubs. When you talk to club alumni they always talk about someone who helped them at the club. That is what I love about this organization.”
As the Director of Resource Development, Martin works with connecting partners and volunteers with the organization, grant writing, bringing in financial resources such as in-kind and unrestricted gifts, as well as overseeing the marketing of the organization.
Martin was very excited to discuss the Youth of the Year reception, which they recently had for the second year in a row and she says is quickly becoming a favorite of all individuals involved with the club. Other upcoming events that she is involved in is the golf outing on July 14th, the Steak and Burgers dinner on September 28th, and the annual 5K race in December.
Anyone who talks to Martin can immediately tell how much the Boys & Girls Club means to her and that her heart is truly in the work that she does.
Martin says that what she really enjoys about working for the club are, “The kids and being able to make connections with community members. Our kids are the greatest assets of our communities. What we put into them today is going to give huge returns to all of us in the future. Kids come here because they want to, and they want to learn.”
Outside of the club Martin is also a mother to four amazing children and has been married to her college sweetheart Tom for 25 years. Alison has not only passed the torch of community involvement on to her children who volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club, but she and her husband are very involved in their children’s activities. Martin can be found on weekends cheering her kids on at baseball, volleyball, and soccer games, musical competitions, as well as watching her youngest daughter who dances with the Indiana Ballet Theater.
Martin’s additional community involvement includes past Power of Alliance member and Member Kiwanis Club of Merrillville Breakfast, volunteer for Indiana Ballet Theatre, three-time nominee of Most Influential Women, and a member of First United Methodist Church of Hobart.
Martin is a leading member of our community who is making a difference in the lives of those around her and especially the children every day.
If you’ve ever met Martin, you’ve probably heard her say, “If you don’t know what we do at the Boys & Girls Club, come to one and check it out.” She truly means that and is working hard on a daily basis to show just how important make a difference in a child’s life is for our community.