You are in our hearts this beginning of Springtime. You make a difference with the Boys & Girls Club! If I only get to say it to you once this year, have a happy birthday- whenever yours is. I truly hope that you enjoy your day!
Birthdays come to mind a lot right now. We are probably alike in that during the past month and the month ahead there are many friends & family having birthdays. Some are brand new new-born children, some are forever friends, some are new neighbors, some are celebrating milestones like 13 years, 18 years, 40 years, 53 years – such as my wife today. Happy Birthday Jen! Or 80 years, 90, 101!
Birthdays, like with the coming of Spring, spark a renewal of life, like a birthday candle there is light, hope, opportunity. One thing is for sure, if you are having a birthday, you are growing. And, growth with hope and opportunity is what the Boys & Girls Club Mission is all about.
I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity. Elanor Roosevelt
Child safety is our top priority and Club staff earned certifications in CPR and First Aid the other day. Proud to be on the Staff team with all these very great people, some have been with us more than 5 years, others first came to the Club as elementary school age youth and are now working at their first paid jobs – working hard and giving great care. Some are grandparents and some have having babies of their own. Your giving provides employment for up to 22 Boys & Girls Club of Morgan County staff, mentors bearing the torch, shining the light of guidance for the youth and teens we serve.
A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer. Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Angie Turley Team at Fairway Mortgage, You cannot be thanked enough for your generosity, for having our kids in the big hearts of you and your team, and for being the lead sponsor of our 2021 Transportation Program, helping to ensure that all youth who need Club programming will have transportation to the Club after school.
My happiest memory of childhood was my first birthday in reform school. This teacher took an interest in me. In fact, he gave me the first birthday presents I ever got: a box of Cracker Jacks and a can of ABC shoe polish. Flip Wilson
Truer words may have never been spoken. A gift of kindness and a gift to help set the stage for future success – both can go a very long way in helping young people prepare to meet the challenges and achieve success. It is our duty to have a hand in the lives of young people, so that they grow to become the adults who they are intended to be. It is everybody’s job to be the best they can, everyday and for one another. Determination and persistence are omni-potent.
The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. Denis Waitley
Club youth and teens give hours to their homework at the Boys & Girls Club, everyday. Tutored and tutoring in our Indiana Kids Scholars Room program, collectively, over 950 hours of homework is completed annually at the Club. Is anyone better off because of this… on average our kids increase their math scores 120% and reading scores over 60%.
If you can give your child only one gift, let it be enthusiasm. Bruce Barton
Coach and training. Introducing new ideas, interest, and opportunities. Guiding young people to build confidence in their strengths and to make a continual and positive difference in their lives and in the lives of those around them. This is the gift you give with your donation to the Boys & Girls Club, for the youth and teens we serve. Thank you!
To give somebody your time is the biggest gift you can give. Franka Potente
Your time is the greatest gift, absolutely! Over 1,200 hours of volunteer time was given to the Club in 2020 and during the pandemic nonetheless. Amazing and so beautiful! Thank you! Join us for at least one hour this year, for lunch and learn at the Boys & Girls Club to hear about all the good things that are happening, because of you and others like you.
Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Dr. Seuss
Again, Club staff wear many hats and are asked to work very hard for our kids. Mr David Q Maurer II is newest to our staff team, leading as our Resource Development Manager. David’s excitement for helping others and building community are gifts and strengths. Teamwork makes the dreamwork and we are all aiming together to provide the resources for all youth to achieve Great Futures, Whatever It Takes! Please join me in welcoming David Maurer !
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. Voltaire
A little yoga at the Club, learning how to manage stressors that are too common today for young people and learning to be well, together.
It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.’ Sam Levenso
Confidence, self-reliance, a hand on the shoulder for each other, true self esteem, encouragement, Faith. believe and you will achieve. Babe Ruth was both the homerun king and the strikeout king. Take a big swing when you have earned your shot!
Love the giver more than the gift. Brigham Young
And sometimes you just have to eat the cupcake. There is always a young person at the Club, who will come to me, usually on a day when I am wearing a jacket and new tie. He will have frosting all over his hands, a runny nose, play clothes, and a cupcake that was made on a folding table on the gym floor, with more sugar and food coloring than any recipe ever calls for. And, a cupcake is the last thing on my mind, I’m thinking about 4-5 calls to make before the end of the day, about the work-out that I want to do after work, about not getting my suit coat and tie messy… BUT you know, sometimes you just have to eat the cupcake because it is the right thing to do, for how hard that young person worked and the joy he found in learning to make that cupcake, for the wideness of his smile and the brightness in his eyes when he says , “Here Mr Tann, I made this for you, is it your birthday? And I take a bite and it is the most delicious experience of the day!
Thank you for your hard work and great care, for the loving and thoughtful things you do for our kids and the Boys & Girls Club, to give all young people the shot they deserve to reach their full potential, in complete safety. Your generosity reaches hundreds of local youth and teens, many of whom visit the Boys & Girls Club almost every day and who rely on Club programs and services that change the direction of young lives. And this is only possible with your donations.
In gratitude,
Chris Tann
Executive Director
Boys & Girls Club of Morgan County
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