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| Main |
| Impact by the Numbers |
| Success Stories |
| Value per Dollar |
| Core Programs Impact |
| Support Program/Service Impact |
My name is Juan. I'm 22 years old. I have been a member of Comin' Up, the Boys & Girls Club Gang Intervention Program since I was fourteen. I am the third child in a family of eight. My father passed away when I was fourteen, leaving my mother to be a mom and a dad at the same time. It was hard not having a male figure growing up. I found one at the Panther Branch of the Boys & Girls Club in Fort Worth. A lot of my friends got in trouble with drugs and gangs, some of them aren't here today, but I opened my eyes real quick and turned around after meeting my mentor at the Boys & Girls Club. I was able to go to the fire academy because of the Boys & Girls Club. They helped me fill out applications, pay for books, and also gave me gas cards because I couldn't even afford to get to school. All it took was that one person to steer me the right way and introduce me to the right people. I received my paramedic license and am currently working as a firefighter. The way I look at it is that the Boys & Girls Club helped out one person, and now that one person is going to turn around and help out a lot more people.
My name is Floyd. I am 21 years old and the oldest of four children. We were raised in a single-parent household by my mother. Being the oldest, and especially the oldest male, there were a lot of challenges that I faced. I didn't hear about college through anyone but my teachers and the Club. The Boys & Girls Club introduced me to a program they had that was set up to help kids who are first generation college students. They helped me with school supplies, scholarships, and also with the transition between high school and college. And most importantly, motivated me and taught me how to ask for help. I will graduate from Texas Christian University this December because of the Boys & Girls Club. If the Boys & Girls Club had not been a part of my life, I honestly don't know where I would be right now. I wouldn't have had the motivation to even apply for TCU without them.
My name is Larry. I'm 19 years old. I am the oldest of six children. I live with my mom, a single parent and my two younger brothers and three sisters. We live in the Butler Housing Projects and it's hard, you know. My neighborhood is not the best. We're surrounded by drugs, gangs and acts of violent crime. I was six years old when I started going to the Boys & Girls Club. I was just going to have fun and play games, but as I gotolder I realized that the Club is more than just a place to have a good time. It's a home away from home where I found encouragement and motivation to be the best person I can be. If I didn't have the Boys & Girls Club in my life, I don't know where I would be. I never thought I would have graduated from high school. But the Boys & Girls Club showed me that I can do anything if I just put my mind and heart into it. They helped me with my tests, they helped me become a better person, guided me through high school...they got me through. My mom is really proud of me and the things I have accomplished. At the Boys & Girls Club, it's a set of people and they all treat you the same way. It's just like they're second parents to you.
My name is Thoa, I'm 25 years old. I was born in Viet Nam and am the oldest of five children. My family lived in a refugee camp in the Philippines before coming to the United States. Not long after living in the United States we moved to the Butler Public Housing Projects. At night I could hear drive-by shootings which was scary but there was nothing my parents could do about it because of our financial situation. One day the police came to our apartment and asked why we weren't in school during school hours. My mother didn't understand English and later that day one of the staff at the Boys & Girls Club took me and my sister to the nearby elementary school to register us, that's how I came to know the Boys & Girls Club at the time. Everyday after school my sisters and I would go to the Club and the staff would help us with our homework. The staff is like a second set of parents to me. If they didn't mentor me, or encourage me, or support me, I don't think I would have even made it to college. They helped me apply to college and I got accepted to Baylor University. I was the first generation from my family to go to college. I graduated from Baylor in 2006 and am currently a dental assistant and specialize working with mental health patients and plan on attending dental school in 2009.
My name is Denija. I am 24 years old. I am originally from Bosnia. When I was seven years old when war broke out in my country and my family and I were forced to live in underground shelters for several months. Eventually we were forced out and had to live in Croatia in a refugee camp for nine and a half years. In 2000, my family and I were granted refuge asylum here. In high school I got involved with the Boys & Girls Club. I started attending the Club after school. They not only helped me with school but they helped me fill out applications to colleges and pay for the fees. Because of them I was able to obtain two scholarships and was accepted to Texas Wesleyan University where I graduated with honors. The Boys & Girls Clubs provided me with transportation and were there for me whenever and would help me. They also donated furniture for my family and I to have...I hadn't had a bed for four years. The Boys & Girls Clubs always cared for me...they loved me and showed me both emotional and financial support. Even I can't believe where I am today thanks to this organization. I work for a non-profit today and help other people, people just like me, just like I needed help. I cannot express my gratitude for the Boys & Girls Club.
Apply by 1/8/2010 below
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