Local Organization Spotlight: Boys & Girls Club of Maury County
Welcome to Support Local, Boys & Girls Club of Maury County! We are thrilled to have y’all on the platform. Users like you will be able to support their organization through SnapShop receipt donations and direct campaign donations in the app! We caught up with Katie Rysiewicz, Director of Resource Development to learn more about BGCMC and what they do in the community.
Tell us about BGCMC.
Every day, in every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. 11.3 million children nationwide go home to an empty house or the streets with no adult care after–school. Worse, many of these kids are surrounded by drugs, gangs, violence, and other negative influences in their own neighborhoods, right here in Maury County. The critical after-school hours are often the period that determine a young person’s future, positive or negative. This is the time period when juvenile crime peaks, and it is also the time in which young people are most likely to be the victim of a crime.
These young people need to know that someone in their life cares for them and is looking out for them. Since 1999, Boys & Girls Clubs of Maury County has provided this and much more for Maury County’s youth. It gives them hope, opportunity, and the tools they will need to succeed in life.
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of America is to “enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” The vision statement of Boys & Girls Clubs of Maury County is: “We strive each day to POSITIVELY IMPACT Youth, STRENGTHEN Families, and ENRICH Maury County, one child at a time.”
What is the need in Maury County’s youth community?
Growing up in today’s world is not easy for anyone, but for many kids in Maury County it is tougher than ever before:
The violent crime rate in Columbia is nearly twice the national average
42% of kids in our community are overweight or obese, 3% higher than the state average
15% of children under 18 in Maury County live in poverty
21% of Maury County youth live in households receiving food stamp assistance
16% of low-income Maury County youth and 12% of African-American youth do not graduate high school on time
15% of Maury County youth are chronically absent from school, and this rate increases to 23% for low-income students
There were 739 juvenile court referrals in Maury County in 2018
Tennessee ranked 10th in the nation in teen pregnancy in 2018
The teen STD rate for Maury County is higher than the state average
Tennessee is in the top 10 states for illegal drug use among persons age 12 and older
How does BGCMC respond to this need?
The Club addresses these needs by providing youth with quality programming facilitated by trained, caring staff members targeted to three priority outcome areas: Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Good Character and Citizenship. All of our programs are designed to accomplish three key goals for our youth:
1) Academic Success: For all youth members to graduate from high school ready for college, trade school, military, or employment;
2) Healthy Lifestyles: For all youth members to adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices, and make a lifelong commitment to fitness; and
3) Good Character & Citizenship: For all youth members to become engaged citizens involved in their communities, register to vote, and model strong character.
How do Supporters impact BGCMC and the local community?
Your support will help us ensure that every child in Maury County who needs a safe, caring environment after school will have access to a Boys & Girls Club. Many of the kids who need us the most come from families who cannot afford to pay for our services. After-school care is a luxury they cannot afford, so their child goes home alone to an empty house…or the neighborhood streets…every day at 3pm. It is during that time that they are most likely to be exposed to things that can derail their future and change their path in life forever. We need your help to reach all of those kids. Your support will help make sure that the Club is there for EVERY child in Maury County who needs it, regardless of their family situation.