In 1876, philanthropist and entrepreneur E. H. Harriman founded New York City’s first Boys’ Club with the goal of getting inner-city boys off the streets of the Lower East Side and into a place where they would be safe, learn better manners, and engage in more productive activities. The original clubhouse started with three boys, and daily attendance averaged less than 100 during the first five years. While our core mission of providing a safe haven from the streets has remained constant, our vision and range of programs have expanded dramatically since our humble beginnings. We have moved from being simply a refuge from the dangers of urban life to an organization that encourages boys and young men to seek the highest standards of scholarship, moral development, and physical achievement. We offer hope for a better future and challenge boys to reach their full potential. Along with encouragement, we provide boys the opportunity to acquire skills to make their goals a reality. For without hope for the future, boys have no reason to strive; but without the skills to achieve their dreams, hope is just an empty promise.
Today, BCNY serves nearly 4,000 boys who are members of our three full-service clubhouses – Harriman on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Elbridge T. Gerry, Jr. in East Harlem, and the Marion McMahon Abbe in Flushing, Queens. In our 135 years of continuous operation, BCNY has positively influenced the lives of nearly a million young men. While our history is impressive and something we are very proud of, what is most important is that we develop our programs and services to ensure that we can continue to effectively meet the emerging needs of New York City’s boys.
