The Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County will kick off its first annual “It Just Takes One” campaign. The campaign will raise funds for the Clubs’ after-school programs and services for youth ages 5-18, living in Rutherford County. Scheduled to run through February 28, the campaign seeks donations primarily from individuals.
Serving as the campaign’s chair is Kendra Cooke. The campaign’s goal this year is to raise $100,000 to supply need based scholarships. Cooke said, “Now more than ever, we need to make sure we are providing a safe place for our counties children and youth. Parents are working longer hours to make ends meet and the children are the ones that suffer. If we can assist the parents with the financial burden while keeping their children engaged in our Club, I feel like we can change lives. It is important that we invest in the children that we have at the Boys & Girls club because they are truly our future.”
“The ‘It Just Takes One’ campaign is about providing the ‘youth who need us most’ affordable access to hope, opportunity, and our life-saving programs,” said Todd Bale, the Boys & Girls Clubs Chief Professional Officer. “Children don’t choose their life circumstances, but every child deserves a chance to be successful. We want to be able to say ‘yes’ to every child who needs us, regardless of their ability to pay, and we’ll certainly need the community’s full support to accomplish our goal this year.”
Funds raised will help sponsor kids to attend summer camp and provide quality after-school programs such as the Power Hour homework help program, computer skills training, career exploration, arts and crafts, fitness and sports, and character and leadership programs such as SMART Moves (a prevention program) and Youth of the Year (the Club’s premier recognition program).
The Boys & Girls clubs mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.
“The cost of providing the Boys & Girls Club experience to one child for a year is about $1,500” said Cooke. “You can see what a valuable investment that is when you compare it to $54,750, the cost of incarcerating a youth for a year in Rutherford County. The Clubs give a good return on investment.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County, founded in 1986, is a non-profit, privately-funded 501(c)(3) organization and depends on private donations and volunteers to accomplish its mission. The Clubs annually serve some 2,000 youth. To make a donation or to volunteer, contact the Boys & Girls Club office at 893-KIDS or visit the web site at www.bgcrc.net.
