Posted on June 28, 2017
Published by El Dorado News-Times
Special to the News-Times
EL DORADO — This month, the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado will launch the annual Back The Kids Campaign, an initiative to mobilize the community in support of the kids and empower the youth to achieve success.
The Boys & Girls Club is redefining the opportunity equation for kids by elevating the critical role out-of-school time plays in a child’s chance to have a great future. What happens during the hours between school and home can have a dramatic impact on kids’ futures. By providing access to positive and productive after-school and summer programs as well as caring adult mentors, The Boys & Girls Club can help reverse the most negative trends facing the youth and the country, including graduation rates, obesity and violence.
During the school year, one out of four kids leave school with no place to go, putting them at risk of being unsupervised, unguided and unsafe during these critical after school hours. During the summer, three out of four kids in America lack access to summer learning programs, increasing their risk of learning loss and putting them at a disadvantage before the school year even starts.
For 78 years, the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado has been a leader in youth development during out-of-school time. Every year The Boys & Girls Club provides thousands of kids with a safe and fun place, positive adult mentors, educational enhancement, guidance on healthy living and life changing programs. Last year the Club Units served 5,276 youth in the community and served 56,146 meals during the summer alone.
The Boys & Girls Club seeks to reach more kids in need during out-of-school time and grow participation in these life changing, outcome-driven programs for even greater impact on kids and the community.
The Club’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Club wants today’s generation to be successful in school and in their adulthood, to be healthy and active and to develop the strong character skills they need to become future leaders for the country.
The Boys & Girls Club believe there are three key areas to developing young people into well-rounded adults: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles.
Through this Campaign, The Boys & Girls Club seek to achieve the following outcomes for kids:
• Increase membership and access to the Clubs for kids who need a safe place to go after school and during the summer.
• Ensure successful transitions to middle and high school, and foster college or career readiness with 21st century skills.
• Engage youth in taking action in their community and world, promote resilience, build character strength, and develop the next generation of America’s leaders.
• Motivate kids to be healthy through nutrition and health education, more access to healthy foods, avoidance of risky behaviors and a lifelong commitment to fitness.
“Funds raised will help sponsor kids to attend summer camp and provide quality after school programs such as the Power Hour homework help program, arts and crafts, fitness and sports, and character and leadership programs such as the Youth of the Year,” David Lee, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado, said.
New this year is the Club’s monthly giving program for those looking for a way to make a big impact for youth in the community without a big investment. With as little as $10/month, the donation adds-up to $120/year – that’s only $.33/day to make a difference in a child’s life at the Boys & Girls Club. By joining this program, donors make a monthly commitment to support Great Futures through the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Dorado.
An investment in Back The Kids gives the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado the chance to develop a generation of young Americans who are the future citizens and leaders. To make a donation or to volunteer, contact the Boys & Girls Club office at 870-863-8753 or visit the Web site at www.eldoradokids.org.