There is no distance too far for Duneland Boys and Girls Club Director Joseph Juarez to extend his helping hands over. His instinct is to help those in need and he teaches those around him the same kindness.
For six years Joseph worked in the Special Education Department at Liberty Elementary School. He made connections throughout the education industry, including a friendship with a friend of Chuck Leer. At the time, Leer was the President of the Duneland Boys & Girls Club. When the Club began plans to open a location in Chesterton, Joseph’s friend recommended him for a position there.
Juarez has been the Club Director for the last 8 ½ years.
“I believe our most important job is to teach these kids they can make a difference in the world. Whether it be in their family, our community, or the entire world,” said Juarez. “Once they realize they can make a positive difference, they are usually quite eager to do so. We try to give our members the opportunity to be a positive change in their world.”
Kids at the Boys & Girls Club have raised money for clean water wells in Haiti, to eradicate sex trafficking in Africa, and to supplement the government funding of local animal shelters. They collected 600 cases of water for residents of Flint, Michigan. Their Summer of 2016 project is to support a local horse stable that provides counsel to struggling youths.
“It's important to teach children that the world they live in on a daily basis is not THE world that most of the world lives in. It's important to show them the struggles that many in the world deal with on a daily basis. Showing them they can help make a difference in the lives of people they will never meet, hopefully, grows the seeds of empathy and caring in them.”
At the time of this article’s creation, the Duneland Club is working on constructing a new building for its members. When it is finished, it will be one of the rare Premier Clubs of the Nation. The building sits on ten acres, is close to three different schools, and has plenty of room for more expansions. They hope to one day include teens from the local High School in their program.
“We believe this project is a game changer in this community. Companies and private citizens that invest in this project are investing into generations to come,” said Juarez. “Character building and good citizenship is the foundation of what we do at the club: The positive influence that our members can have on the future of our community can not be downplayed. Investing in our project is an investment in the Duneland Community.”
Joseph has a profound love for the Duneland Community. He and his wife Teresa made Chesterton their home 20 years ago, after living for some time in Huntington Beach, California. They simply fell in love with the area during visits to Teresa’s sister’s home.
He even spends his free time maintaining and improving his community. Joseph has been a participant in Rebuilding Together Duneland since 2001, when it was still called Christmas in April. For five years he has been a part of Kiwanis, which has worked alongside the Boys & Girls Club to raise money for a project called “ELIMINATE.” The funds will help eliminate the national tetanus crisis.
A Communications degree from Purdue University helps Joseph in every aspect of his career. He majored in Advertising and Public Relations, and uses both. It is an ongoing learning experience.
It also helps him in his personal life. Joseph is writing two books about his trouble-making Dachshunds, called “What Would God do?” and “My Life with a Teenie Weenie.” The former is about the life lessons dogs learned before we did, and the later is a comical account of his pets’ shenanigans.
“I am proud of my work in the community,” said Joseph. “I love the Duneland Community and want to do as much as possible to give back to the place I love!”