Frank Marte
For Frank Marte, the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club was more than
a place of hope and opportunity; it was a safe haven from the difficulties
that awaited him on the streets. As a recent immigrant from the Dominican
Republic, Frank and his two brothers came to the Columbus Clubhouse in the
Bronx during a difficult time in the neighborhood’s history.
“There was a lot of racial tension back then. The neighborhood had
been Yugoslavian, Italian, African-American and Puerto Rican. We were the
first Dominicans and we got hit from all sides. At the club we met people
from the other ethnic groups and the staff members were able to serve as
mediators. That was really, really key for me and my family. It was a safe
place to go and we made friends with kids from other cultures.”
During his first few years at the club, he and his brothers and sisters
recall that there were times when the staff went so far as to walk them
home at night because they knew there were kids waiting outside who wanted
to do them harm.
Slowly but surely the tensions eased and Frank and his siblings found themselves
assimilating into American culture. “The club not only helped us to
play sports – we only knew baseball then coming from the Dominican
Republic – but it taught us new sports like basketball and hockey.
It was a way to learn about this culture and mix in. Even the sports activities
had an application though I didn’t realize it then.”
Frank was involved in other youth development organizations but he says
the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club was much more personal because
it addressed the needs and the stresses in his life. “I was poor and
if there was a time that I was hungry, it addressed that basic need at my
level. They were sensitive to the needs of me and my brothers.”
It was Madison’s Summer Youth Employment program that helped
Frank and his siblings secure their first jobs. “We did a variety
of jobs, mostly recreational and office work. It not only gave me my
first work experience, it led to my career in youth development.”
“The organization played such a big role in my emotional development
too. At school, the guidance department didn’t push me academically.
I had no help from the school system in going to college. In fact, my high
school guidance counselor told me that I didn’t have what it takes
to go to college. The Boys and Girls Club was the opposite. George Henry
told me to go on. The Boys and Girls Club really pushed college and it helped
me believe in myself to do it.”
And graduate from college he did. In 1993 he received his Bachelors of Arts
degree in History with a minor in Secondary Education. Today, he’s
pursing a Masters degree in Social Work while serving as the Director of
the Westchester County Youth Council where he is training youth ages 11-19
to be social activists. He is married to his wife Jenny – who also
attended the Columbus Clubhouse – and has three children.
“The Boys and Girls Club played such a major role in my life and helped
shape who I am today. The club really helped us to hang in there. Most of
the other family members that came over from the Dominican Republic worked
in labor jobs – bagging groceries, working in restaurants, things
like that. We were the only ones who became successful because the Boys
and Girls Club pushed us to pursue bigger things.”