Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands Wins Vision for Unity Award
February 26, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – February 26, 2009 – The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) has won the Vision for Unity Award for its commitment to serving the diverse communities the clubs are in and by employing a diverse staff. The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America gave the award on February 10.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands is celebrating 50 years of serving the youth of our community in 2009, so this award means the year is starting with a bang,” said Carter Clark, chief professional officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands. “Our children and teens in our area clubs represent a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, and we’ve found that the clubs benefit from a leadership and programming that’s just as diverse as our club members, from the service center employees, to employees in the clubs and even our board.”
With over 200 employees and 25 board members, BGCM has 8,000 youth in 29 clubs in Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties. As a part of BGCM’s commitment to diversity, in addition to other quality programming, each club offers The Youth for Unity Program, which is designed to educate club members about diversity.
Additionally Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands offers several events during the year where members of all clubs come together, promoting the diverse communities BGCM serves. Specifically a fall flag football league and basketball tournaments for middle school club members and the BGCM Olympics over the summer brought together members from all clubs and united them in friendly competition.
The Clubs also promote education about different socioeconomic backgrounds by providing members with an opportunity to serve others by hosting an annual holiday food drive at all Club locations to benefit Harvest Hope.
The Vision for Unity Award was also awarded to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands due to the staff’s diverse backgrounds and levels of experience, and last fall Diversity in the Workplace training was offered to all full-time staff.
For more information on Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, contact Katie Alice Cox at [email protected] or 803.227.0914.
ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MIDLANDS
With 29 Clubs in the Midlands, the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. In addition to its after-school programs, BGCM offers spring break and summer programs. Visit www.bgcmidlands.org for more information.
