The Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills received a Hero of Youth Award from the national Boys & Girls Club of America for their advocacy on behalf of Moore County’s youth.
“Clubs like ours have a unique role as community leaders in providing valuable afterschool programs to our country’s youth that enable them to achieve great futures,” said Steve Kastner, Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills CEO. “Advocacy is one of our biggest opportunities to further impact the lives of the youth we serve each day and is one of our key strategic organizational priorities. Advocacy and collaboration with other partner organizations and elected officials are more important now than ever before as resources are limited and our advocacy efforts truly make a difference in our ability to serve the youth in Moore County.”
COVID-19 forced Boys & Girls Clubs to address new sets of challenges facing our youth. Clubs across the nation provided vital services and a calming, steady presence for struggling families and communities.
During this crisis, Boys & Girls Clubs partnered with public officials to help meet communities’ larger needs, such as providing childcare for healthcare professionals and other essential workers, meals, and virtual learning to fill educational gaps.
“Because of the steadfast advocacy of leaders like Boys & Girls Club of the sandhills, our nation’s youth have access to skills and experiences that can put them on the path to great futures,” said Jim Clark, CEO & President of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “These successes aren’t possible without a strong partnership with elected in officials at the local, State, and Federal levels. I commend the Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills for their tireless work on behalf of their community’s youth and congratulate them on this much-deserved recognition.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Club Advocacy Engagement Recognition Program recognizes the advocacy work Clubs do every day, with a major emphasis on impact, creativity, and innovation. The program consists of three tiers for Clubs: Advocate, Hero, and Champion. Clubs get points for impactful engagements and those points to determine what tier a Club is placed. We are raising our voices every single day, to ensure top issues and solutions impacting young people are prioritized in our community, our state, and at the national level.”
Photo: Steve Kastner (left), CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills, and Deon Allbrooks, area director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
