
Not Back to normal, back to better
Nothing feels quite back to pre-pandemic "normal," but when normal means not knowing where your next meal will come from, kids deserve better than normal. It has never been more important than it is right now to equalize the opportunities for our youth, making sure they have access to academic support, healthy food, safe places to play, and a path to success.
It feels better than "normal" to have over 3,050 youth return to our Club Branches and elementary school sites this school year. Yet, we also know that we still have a ways to go to help kids recover from the many impacts of COVID-19, some of which will be felt for years to come. Through all of our programs and services, we are focusing on mitigating learning loss and strengthening the social and emotional health and wellbeing of our youth. Coming back "better" is about making sure that Club kids and teens have access to the resources they need to thrive and can build their resiliency to overcome challenges now and in the future. These opportunities to learn and grow are possible because of all of our generous supporters and partners.
We are proud of how many caring supporters stepped up to ensure that the Club remained a go-to source of education and a beacon of hope and comfort during the most challenging times of last year. We are proud of how our community is rallying around the youth who need us most, united in our resolve, to take on the inequities they face. A huge thank you to our community’s commitment to Club youth and our mission.