Boys & Girls Club Blog

This season I am thankful for the many supporters who are generous donors to our families in our Boys & Girls Club community. These people come from so many different parts of our community and their gifts come in the form of time, talents and monetary donations.

At Thanksgiving they gave meals to ensure that families had a warm dinner on the table. One of our family recipients shared with me how thankful she was for a table with a true turkey meal reminding her of some memories or her own childhood. Taking the time to prepare the meal now with her daughter, grateful for being able to form some lifelong memories for time spent with her family, and have a true thanksgiving meal. This is just one memory from so many who received a meal because someone made the decision to make a difference.

This is also the time of the year that people give their gift of time at our Christmas party for our members. A time when our Club community of 6-12 year olds come and join our volunteers for an evening of holiday celebration. I have always seen this evening as a magical night filled with volunteers helping members wrap a special gift that a child has picked out for a parent or handing out a candy cane by Santa Claus. The evening wouldn’t be successful without our many volunteers. The building is filled with the smells of a holiday meal prepared by our Alumni Association and served by our volunteers.

Some of our donors adopt a family and make sure that children have gifts under the tree. I can’t wait for members to come back to the Club and talk about what was under the Christmas tree. I see brand new outfits with girls twirling and boys walking with pride. Our staff hear things like “look you can’t see my socks with my new shoes,” “under the Christmas tree was the doll I have always wanted,” “I have a remote control car that I can race down the street.” I hear about lots of good moments and parents who know that they can have a special Christmas and create those lifelong memories because of the kindness of a stranger. I have watched as parents put gifts in their car and sometimes see tears of relief run down their face. This is heartwarming to see as so many of our families work hard to provide but are in jobs that just don’t make enough for the extra things like Christmas presents.

Thank you to all of you out there who give your gifts of time, talent and monetary donations. Thank you for giving up an evening to spend at the Club, shopping for that special gift during black Friday or making sure families have a warm meal. Your gifts of kindness help members in our Club Community create lasting memories, which hopefully someday they can pay forward. Enjoy the holiday season knowing that you are making a difference!

By: Lori Fields, Radford Center Director