UPDATE: members of the community can start dropping off their donations of new or gently used books for young people at Boys & Girls Club locations and at Lagomarcino's in Moline. The Book Rack in Davenport has agreed to donate a big box of books, and more from the community would certainly be welcome.
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - On Thursday, July 31, Boys and Girls Clubs across the country will celebrate the launch of the Great Futures Campaign to mobilize the community in support of today's young people. As part of that campaign, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley has issued a community literary challenge, encouraging Quad-Citians to donate in support of young people, their reading habits, and the future of the community.
At 3 p.m., July 31, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley (BGCMV) will introduce the Great Futures Literary Challenge at their Davenport Club, located at First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport, IA.
"The community is invited to the event," said Tim Tolliver, Chief Executive Officer of the BGCMV. "Quad-Citians will be asked to support literacy by donating new or gently used age-appropriate books for young people, ages 6 to 18. Each of our Clubs will conduct a reading contest from July 31 to December 12, with the winners of each club announced at our Holiday Ball event on December 13. Community members, companies and organizations are also welcome to donate to the general funds of the Boys and Girls Clubs, to help support our day-to-day operations."
To prepare for the event, Quad-Citians are asked to drop off books before July 31 at any Boys & Girls Club location:
- Moline Club, 406 7th Street, Moline, IL
- Teen Center, 1122 5th Avenue, Moline, IL
- Davenport Club, First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport, IA
- Administrative Office, 338 6th Street, Moline, IL
At the July 31 event, the books that have been donated so far will be given to members of the Boys and Girls Clubs in attendance. People can continue to support the Great Futures Literary Challenge by dropping off books at the above locations until December 12.
Tolliver added that the BGCMV has started a Wish List on their Amazon.com account for donations of books, e-books, e-magazine subscriptions and gift cards. To locate the Wish List, go to Amazon.com, click on the Wish List tab in the upper right-hand corner and choose 'Find a wish list or registry.' On the next screen, enter BGCMV in the space provided to reach the page.
"At the Holiday Ball, we will reveal how many books were donated and read by Club members, and we will also share this information with the media," Tolliver said.
The Needs of Today's Children
Through the Great Futures Campaign, the BGCMV is joining Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide in bringing attention to the needs of today's children. According to Tolliver, the BGCMV has multiple goals for the campaign, including:
- Increase membership and access to Clubs for young people who need a safe place to go after school and during the summer.
- Encourage regular reading habits and increase access to age-appropriate reading material.
- Motivate kids to be healthy through better nutrition and health education, more access to healthy foods, avoidance of risky behaviors, and a lifelong commitment to fitness.
- Ensure successful transitions to middle and high school, and foster college- or career-readiness with 21st century skills.
- Engage youth in taking action in their community.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one out of three children nationwide leave school every day with no place to go, putting them at risk of being unsupervised, unguided and unsafe. Statistics from the Afterschool Alliance show that during the summer, three out of four children in America lack access to summer learning programs, increasing their risk of learning loss and putting them at a disadvantage before the school year starts.
Statistics from other sources show that today's children also face additional problems:
- The U.S. Census Bureau has found that one in five American kids live in poverty.
- National Center for Health Statistics has revealed that three out of 10 kids nationwide are obese or overweight.
- According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, our nation's graduation rate ranks 22nd among 28 countries.
Tolliver is asking the public to help the BGCMV to reach more kids and put them on the path to a great future. "At the Boys & Girls Clubs, we've seen the positive impact that occurs when young people have access to a safe place with caring adult mentors and enriching programs during out-of-school time," he said. "We want today's generation to be successful in every aspect of their lives, so they can become future leaders for our country."
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, as a chartered member of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a tax-exempt organization, duly qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with Federal law.
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