Christine Kustelski is Inducted into the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame

On December 6, 2019, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota’s Southside Unit Director Christine Kustelski joined an elite group of individuals when she was inducted into the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame. Nominated for the Friends of Youth Leadership Award, Kustelski was chosen because she stood out as a leader in her field with a tireless commitment to youth.

Since 1999, the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame includes individuals that go above and beyond in their service to youth in need and recognizes them for their accomplishments. Over the years, only 86 individuals out of thousands of youth workers have achieved such status in the Youth Intervention field.

“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a big deal,” said Paul Meunier, the Executive Director of the Youth Intervention Programs Associations (YIPA). “We know that everyone who devotes their career to helping our most vulnerable youth is a superstar, but Hall of Fame members stand out as incredible people that we should all try to emulate.”

“We are thrilled that Christine Kustelski has been inducted to the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota’s Director of Development Deb Nebosis. “Christine is mission-driven to serve our community’s youth, and she does so without the expectation of recognition. She is so very deserving of this award!”

Christine Kustelski has served as a youth development professional for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota since 1997, and she has been the Southside Unit Director since 2002. The Southside Club has an annual membership of nearly 1,200 youth in grades K-12. Nearly 100% of the membership utilizes the free or reduced lunch program at school. The youth Christine works with come from challenging family situations including abuse, neglect, poverty, foster care situations and incarcerated parents. She inspires a culture of respect for every child who walks through the doors of the Club and works tirelessly to give them hope and opportunity for a great future. Christine has impacted thousands of young lives over the past 22 years, and many would say that she actually saved their lives.

Youth Intervention connects young people with caring adults to positively develop their unique skills and talents so they become productive, contributing members of their community.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota:

Since 1974, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota has provided hope and opportunity to tens of thousands of young people. More than 25 nationally tested and proven programs are available in the areas of education, the environment, health, the arts, careers, drug and alcohol prevention, leadership development, and athletics. These programs address today’s most pressing youth issues teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. More information is available at www.bgcmn.org.