This Holiday Season, Give Dignity and Belonging

Finding a way to respectfully support our families who, despite their best efforts, were having an especially hard time at Christmas was at the top of the agenda when I joined Boys and Girls Clubs way back in December 2005. The debate swirled, both internally and with our donors… “Do families really need this kind […]
The A Team

We are thrilled to let you know that here at Boys and Girls Clubs Foundation of South Coast BC, we have recently added seven new members to our Board of Directors. This is BGC’s Posse. Crew. Pack. Family. Light Bringers. Magic Makers. Goal Getters. World Shifters. Passion Seekers. Whatever you want to call them, these are the fearless leaders […]
You Can Talk About Tragedy, or Do Something About It

The recent news about the death of 18-year-old Alex Gervais in a hotel in the Fraser Valley has focused on the fact that he was housed in a hotel for a period of time while he was in the care of the government. It’s probably worth saying out loud that the reason that kids end […]
The Antidote for Kids “Going Off Track”

Have you ever noticed that behind the excitement of back-to-school in September is a secret, collective sigh of relief from parents? We have, and it always entertains us because we totally get it! We love September because back-to-school means thousands of kids coming back to our 12 neighbourhood Clubs after school. While tons of them […]
We Have BIG Goals!

Fact: I like back to school in September. All the super cliché things make me happy – the crisper air, changing leaves, and I’ll admit it, I still kinda like the back to school shopping. We start fresh, look to the future, and get excited about what’s coming next. Around the Boys and Girls Clubs, […]
The Best Summer Ever

What comes to mind when you imagine THE perfect summer for kids? You might think of day trips to the beach or Science World, eating ice cream, a week away at camp, hiking, baseball, swimming, or even just playing outside with friends. What if I told you those exact things are happening in our Clubs […]
Kids CAN Change the World: Pink Shirt Day Recap

Before the day is over, I wanted to share a few highlights from today – our 8th Annual Pink Shirt Day. We are so grateful to CKNW, Coast Capital Savings, London Drugs and all of the other partners who make Pink Shirt Day not only a great public awareness campaign against bullying, but financially successful […]
Belonging is the Antidote for Bullying

Have you ever thought about what ‘belonging’ means? For some, an exclusive Club might come to mind, and to others, it might conjure up feelings of security and safety. If you ask kids (as I did recently), they say it means that ‘you fit in’, and when people are nice to you. ‘Belonging’ isn’t a […]
Doing the Math on the School Strike

In response to our last email newsletter, we received an incredible $8,000 in gifts, including one gift to match Jack Gin’s $5,000 challenge to “give forward”! Now that the dust has settled, we are turning our attention to raising the remaining $22,000 in unplanned expenses/lost revenue that resulted from the school closures in June and […]
The Secret to Our Success: Focus!

Now that school “is back” BGC is now welcoming more than 1,000 kids daily at our Clubs. Rather than rattling off the list of their activities and programs, we know that the most important thing that you can learn (and know) about our Clubs is that there, kids are seen and heard. Sound too simple? Or airy fairy? Well, […]