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Central
Mississippi Flips
Over Flicks This
Summer!
Regal Entertainment
Group Gives Club
Members an
Opportunity to Go to
the Movies for Free
–
Summer’s just around
the corner and soon
parents and
caregivers will be
looking for ways to
keep kids active,
engaged and
entertained. Thanks
to a partnership
with Regal
Entertainment Group,
members of Boys &
Girls Clubs of
Central Mississippi
will
enjoy free admission
to the movies this
summer through the
Free Family Film
Festival.
Regal
Entertainment Group
is also providing
the Club with a
stipend to help
cover staff expenses
and transportation.
“Our Boys & Girls
Clubs members are
going to be
thrilled,” said,
Billy Redd, CEO
of
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Central
Mississippi. “The
number of youth we
serve often doubles
in the summer
months; therefore
we’re always
grateful for
opportunities like
Regal Entertainment
Group’s
Free Family Film
Festival
that offers fun and
engaging activities
for our young
people. Most
importantly, we can
leverage this
experience to
stretch their
imagination, while
opening doors to a
world of exploration
and excitement.”
Boys & Girls Clubs
of Central
Mississippi
shares the joy at
Regal Cinema
Northpark 14 located
at
Northpark Mall,
where local members
share summer fun at
the movies.
“Regal
Entertainment Group
is extremely proud
of our relationship
with Boys & Girls
Clubs of America and
we are pleased to
continue offering
resources for local
Clubs to take their
members to free
movies at our
theatres,” said Dick
Westerling, senior
vice president
marketing and
advertising for
Regal Entertainment
Group. “Since 2004,
our theatres across
the country have
worked closely with
local Boys & Girls
Clubs to coordinate
and customize this
experience for each
community.”
The Regal Cinema
Northpark 14 movie
day is one of the
highlights of the
summer for our
kids. Some of the
kids never get to
see the inside of a
movie theatre other
than on this day.
We are very
fortunate that we
are chosen to
participate in this
program and very
appreciative. Any
opportunity that we
are given to
enlighten our kids
through culture, we
take it! This
program is just
another “thought
provoking” event for
our kids both
educationally and
emotionally. When
the kids leave the
theatre they are
still engrossed in
the movie saying, “I
want to be like this
character or that
was cool the way he
flew in the air—how
did he do that?”
This is a very
exciting day for our
kids and our staff.
Boys & Girls Clubs
Reduce Juvenile Crime
Most youth offenses
occur during hours Clubs
are open
In an August 2nd
Clarion Ledger
article (Miss.
Youth Jail Population
Expanding, Aging),
it was noted that the
population at one
juvenile detention
center has doubled in
the last ten years. Of
course, the reality of
juvenile crime in the
Jackson area is well
documented nearly every
night on the local
television news, too.
Here at the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Central
Mississippi, we
are making an enormous
impact on the reduction
of youth crime.
More than 3,200 youth
spend nearly 750,000
hours each year at
our 6 Jackson-area Clubs
and Hazlehurst camp
facility, learning
life-changing lessons
and values that help to
keep them on the right
track. We've been
helping youth in Jackson
since 1936. One of our
early mottos was "It's
easier to mend boys than
men." That still holds
true today.
Kathy Pittman, director
of the division of youth
services for the State
Department of Human
Services, confirms this
tenet in the Clarion
Ledger article:
"‘We need to have early
intervention to turn
these lives
around,’" Pittman said.
Our youth development
programs are designed to
help young people become
successful adults. We
stay involved with youth
from age 6 until age 18,
providing consistent
instruction and guidance
throughout their
adolescence. Most of our
members come from
disadvantaged
circumstances, and if
not for their Boys &
Girls Club, many would
be left at home
unsupervised, often in
dangerous neighborhoods.
Just as our success
depends on long-term,
sustained involvement in
the lives of youth, we
depend on long-term,
sustained support from
the community. An
investment in our
organization and the
kids we serve will have
both an immediate and
long-term impact for our
youth and our
community. Click
HERE
to help.
_________________________________________________
"We need the community's
support to continue to
help these youth. If we
don't, we can be
relatively assured I
will have some contact
with them in the
future...If we don't
care, it's going to come
back to us in
considerable fashion. We
have the responsibility
to look after these
kids...We are their
answer."
- Sheriff Malcolm
McMillin, Board of
Directors - Boys & Girls
Clubs of Central
Mississippi |
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Boys & Girls Clubs
Reduce Juvenile Crime
Most youth offenses
occur during hours Clubs
are open
In an August 2nd
Clarion Ledger
article (Miss.
Youth Jail Population
Expanding, Aging),
it was noted that the
population at one
juvenile detention
center has doubled in
the last ten years. Of
course, the reality of
juvenile crime in the
Jackson area is well
documented nearly every
night on the local
television news, too.
Here at the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Central
Mississippi, we
are making an enormous
impact on the reduction
of youth crime.
More than 3,200 youth
spend nearly 750,000
hours each year at
our 6 Jackson-area Clubs
and Hazlehurst camp
facility, learning
life-changing lessons
and values that help to
keep them on the right
track. We've been
helping youth in Jackson
since 1936. One of our
early mottos was "It's
easier to mend boys than
men." That still holds
true today.
Kathy Pittman, director
of the division of youth
services for the State
Department of Human
Services, confirms this
tenet in the Clarion
Ledger article:
"‘We need to have early
intervention to turn
these lives
around,’" Pittman said.
Our youth development
programs are designed to
help young people become
successful adults. We
stay involved with youth
from age 6 until age 18,
providing consistent
instruction and guidance
throughout their
adolescence. Most of our
members come from
disadvantaged
circumstances, and if
not for their Boys &
Girls Club, many would
be left at home
unsupervised, often in
dangerous neighborhoods.
Just as our success
depends on long-term,
sustained involvement in
the lives of youth, we
depend on long-term,
sustained support from
the community. An
investment in our
organization and the
kids we serve will have
both an immediate and
long-term impact for our
youth and our
community. Click
HERE
to help.
_________________________________________________
"We need the community's
support to continue to
help these youth. If we
don't, we can be
relatively assured I
will have some contact
with them in the
future...If we don't
care, it's going to come
back to us in
considerable fashion. We
have the responsibility
to look after these
kids...We are their
answer."
- Sheriff Malcolm
McMillin, Board of
Directors - Boys & Girls
Clubs of Central
Mississippi |
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Birdies for A Charity a
Fun Way to Help Kids
Viking Classic Runs
from October 26 -
November 1
Birdies For Charity
raises money for
participating charities
by collecting
tax-deductible pledges
based on the number of
birdies made during the
Viking Classic.
The Boys & Girls Clubs
of Central Mississippi
will receive 100% of
collected pledges if you
choose us as your
charity of choice, and
donors can expect
between 1400 and 1800
birdies will be made by
the PGA TOUR pros during
the 2009 Viking Classic.
For a pledge form, click
HERE.
The deadline is October
23, 2009.
The Viking Classic has
raised more than $5.1
million for Mississippi
charities. Visit
http://www.vikingclassic.com/
to learn more
about the tournament.
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Friendship Ball to Benefit
BGCCM
Youth for Unity Program Selected by Jackson 2000
Jackson 2000 Friendship Ball - Saturday, March
7, 2009
7:00 p.m. at Hal and Mal’s in Downtown Jackson
For tickets, call 601.969.7088, ext. 25 or email
sdean@bgccm.net
Jackson 2000, an organization that fosters understanding and
friendship between the races in Jackson, has selected the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi as a beneficiary of its annual
Friendship Ball.
Part of the proceeds from the event will go toward BGCCM's Youth for
Unity program. Youth for Unity educates young people about the
importance of tolerance and diversity. The program's interactive
curriculum and activities help members appreciate and understand our
society's diversity, recognize unfairness, and take personal
leadership in creating an atmosphere of understanding and
acceptance.
The Friendship Ball will be a casual party with a diverse group of
people. These Days with Jewel Bass will perform, and there will be
hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. At the event, Jackson 2000 will honor
two individuals who have contributed in a significant way to racial
reconciliation and understanding in the state.
Abstinence Program at
BGCCM
Mississippi Community Partnership, Inc. (MCP) recently conducted
an abstinence education program, Choosing the Best, for youth at
the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi.
The primary objectives of this program are to help 12-18
year-old students living in the Metro Jackson area to abstain
from sexual activities until marriage and to maintain a healthy,
monogamous marriage as adults.
MCP is a community-based nonprofit coalition which provides
technical assistance to faith-based and community-based
organizations and schools within the state of Mississippi. MCP
also provides substance abuse prevention training and cultural
competency guidance.
Nedra Redd, Director of Program Development, believes the
abstinence program complements BGCCM’s overall youth development
strategy.
“We teach our kids how to make smart decisions and how to stay
healthy. Abstinence education is every bit as important as the
alcohol and drug prevention programs we have. We’re thankful to
have partners like Mississippi Community Partnership to
reinforce our message to youth,” said Redd.
MCP's Holly Palmer says the kids at the clubs were very
receptive to the abstinence lessons.
"Teaching in the Boys and Girls Clubs this summer was an
experience that I will never forget. It was nice to see so many
bright, young kids so eager to learn. I hope each student will
take what was discussed throughout the abstinence program and
apply it to their own lives. It was extremely fun and I am
anxious to be a part of it again," said Palmer.
Did You Know?
According to the Harris Survey of Boys & Girls Club Alumni:
- 90% of our alumni graduate high school.
- 91% are satisfied with their adult life.
- 85% say their Club helped them know the difference between right
and wrong.
- 92% say their Club taught them the importance of helping others.
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Camp John I. Hay near Hazlehurst is a big
favorite for our kids, many of whom rarely leave their urban
setting.
How
you can help >
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