Local kids receive support at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, where they're encouraged to shine and grow. The organization serves 4,000 children in Memphis with after-school tutoring, recreation, and leadership programs.
This month, you can help the Boys & Girls Club while buying school supplies or dining out. Simply pay a visit to Michaels, Old Navy, or Buffalo Wild Wings, and make a $1 donation at the register. Michaels is also collecting school supplies.
Donations through August will have an impact by funding scholarships. “We’re seeing lots of need-based growth now,” says Megan Kline, vice president of development and marketing. “Eighty-five percent of our children live in single-parent households.”
At the six club locations (open weekdays 2 to 8 p.m.), school-aged kids receive support in academics, career development, life skills, and leadership growth. They also explore sports and the arts. The Kick’n it for Kids multi-sport athletic tournament (Sept. 21) gives kids a chance to practice their games and learn more about the Boys and Girls Club.
There are more good reasons to applaud this organization’s work in the community. Through a partnership with Shelby County Schools in the ‘Our Children, Our Success’ on-time grade promotion program, the club guided 100 percent of its seniors to high school graduations in 2012 and 2013. Student members tend to turn in homework assignments and attend class regularly. Fifty percent of teens also experienced a decrease in teen pregnancy.
Most powerfully, 57 percent of alumni credit club involvement with helping to save their lives.
To enroll your child in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Great Memphis, visit a club or call (901) 278-2967. There is a $10 membership fee, but scholarships are available and no child is turned away. To learn more, go to bgcm.org.