This year, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany has served over 2,500 youth in Albany’s most impoverished and disadvantaged neighborhoods. While we are dedicated year round to ensuring our members have access to quality programs and services, the holiday season is a special reminder of why our impact is so vital. With 93 percent of our members falling at or below poverty line, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany is more than just an after school program to our community’s children and teens, it is a second home. After 3 PM, our Club is the only place where many of our members can feel safe, the only place they can eat a nutritious meal, have access to positive role models and learn how to become productive, responsible and engaging members of society. For some of our members, it is the only place they will celebrate the holidays and receive a gift. 

    While preparing for the joyous celebrations this season with your friends and family, it is important to stop and reflect on the overwhelming joy and abundance in your life while also remembering those in your community who are less fortunate. This year we ask that you remember the children of the Boys & Girls Clubs in your holiday plans. This year we will be hosting our annual Holiday Party where we give out gifts to all of our Delaware Ave After School club members. This year we want to expand our impact and include 100 of our club members from various 21st Century Program sites. With these additional club members, we need additional funding for gifts, decorations and food. With your support, we can make this day a memory our club members can cherish. 

Help us be an agent of positive change, because the most valuable gift you can give a child is the gift of a GREAT FUTURE!