A Place to be Herself — BGCCI Through Maddie’s Eyes

It’s great when we can teach a child about character, confidence, and leadership. But it’s so much better when that child turns around and teaches us a thing or two.

Maddie is a great example of this very thing. Well, truth be told, Maddie’s just a great example – period.

Maddie has to be in a wheelchair due to a condition called spina bifida, but she shows the other Club kids that being in a wheelchair won’t stop her from being the leader she is.

“I can do what any other kid can do,” Maddie said. “I’m just a normal kid. I’m not just a kid that’s in a wheelchair. You just have to let people in as they are and treat them with respect.”

It’s that kind of attitude that has impressed BGCCI staff.

“The Club has gotten so much from her,” said Lucia Leydens, director of the First Christian site. “She loves to answer questions about people in wheelchairs. And she does participate in everything. She plays games, goes to lunch, participates in activities in the gym. I think that understanding is a good thing for so many of our children.”

For Maddie, the most wonderful thing about being involved in Club is that she finally has a place to be herself, to be involved, and even to lead others. She tried different clubs and extracurriculars, but she was often excluded in one way or another.

“Even in elementary school, she would try to get into clubs and she would always be shot down,” said Heather, Maddie’s mother. Heather said Maddie always struggled academically and that often prevented her from being allowed into the activities she wanted to join. But when Maddie reached sixth grade, Heather heard about the Boys & Girls Club, and so she signed her daughter up.

“I could see her just growing,” Heather said. “She had two really close friends from Club, and the girls would come over. Maddie just felt normal.”

Heather said the BGCCI staff went “above and beyond” making sure Maddie’s needs were met when she was at Club.

“I have nothing bad to say,” Heather said. “They’re just all wonderful people.”

If you’ve ever been to one of our “Old Bags” events, you already know they are glamorous affairs.

Our annual fundraiser selling new and used designer bags tends to be fabulous, fun, and successful in bringing in support from the community.

This year was no exception, with the total funds raised coming in at $241,021!

“We are humbled by the support and generosity of our community and their dedication to helping provide valuable programs and services to our children,” said Suzie Glazer-Burt, co-chair of Old Bags.

Deniz Franke, also co-chair for Old Bags, said the event is getting so large that the committee is going to have to start looking at bigger locations.

Thanks for another great event! We look forward to seeing you again next year.
 

Paying it Forward with a Raffle Ticket

When Lynn Graves won the raffle at our Old Bags event, she took home a prize of five hours in a private jet to anywhere in the U.S.

She could have been very happy holding on to her prize, especially since the money she spent purchasing her ticket went toward serving Central Iowa youth.

But Graves found yet another way to give when she learned of a Des Moines family whose 21-month-old son needed to go to Florida to have an operation.

The child, whose name is Amos, needed special surgery on his hip, as well as a leg extension.

The delicate nature of the operation means he will have to recover in a full-body cast, so a long car ride back to Iowa would not be ideal.

“They were told by their airline they'd have to see when they were going home so the airline could check whether or not they could accommodate Amos," Graves said.

Graves said it would have been fun to use her prize for herself, but this family needed it more.

“I wanted to be able to give them the opportunity to bring him back home,” she said.

At the time this newsletter was sent out, Amos and his family had flown down to Florida for his surgery. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.

“As I give something to somebody, I like to say just make sure that you turn around and pay it forward,” Graves said.

Feisal Sayeed, President

Why do you care? “The BGCCI continues to inspire our young people. Our investment in at-risk kids is without precedent. The BGCCI is leading the way in our community to fulfill life skills, education, character and leadership. What a pleasure it is to be part of this wonderful organization.” A favorite Boys & Girls Club memory is... “I’ve seen young kids that start going to Boys & Girls Club in 1st or 2nd grade graduate from high school. I’ve seen kids that struggled with their education move on to the next class or the next grade.” Involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs for: 10 years Read more...

Ensuring our programs will stay strong for years to come:  The Heritage Club

When 57% of Club youth say BGCCI changed their lives, and 91% of those kids graduate from high school against tough odds, we know BGCCI is sustainable.

Now we want to make sure our organization remains sustainable.

One way to do that is through the Heritage Club, our new planned giving association.

Planned giving means including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa in your estate plan – whether that be in a will, a charitable gift annuity, a trust arrangement, a real estate gift, or a life insurance policy.

Now you can consider becoming a founding member of our Heritage Club, and help ensure that Central Iowa youth will always have the tools they need to be successful.

For more information, check out:  http://www.bgcci.org/heritageclub.php.

A big thanks goes out to our Planned Giving Task Force Committee in laying the groundwork for our Heritage Club! Thank you to:

Volunteer Opportunity

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa is looking for volunteer drivers to transport our students on our new Club bus, which was donated by Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa. Applicants must have valid a Commercial Driver's License. Please contact BGCCI Americorps Vista Volunteer Coordinator Jena Weissenburger at jweissenburger@bgcci.org.

Donor Spotlight

On September 16, Wells Fargo employees took a day away from the office to connect with our members for United Way of Central Iowa’s “Day of Action 2009.”

Some volunteers went canoeing with kids from our Levitt site at Grey’s Lake, while others created and hosted carnivals for members at our First Christian and Logan sites.

A few Club members from Levitt even got to talk with a news anchor from local station ABC Channel 5. They shared their thoughts about this special day of learning about nature, staying active, and bonding with the volunteers.

Wish List - Board Game Drive!

Is it your new year's resolution to clear out all the clutter in your house?

If old board games happen to make up some of that “clutter,” bring them to us! BGCCI is collecting new and used board games through January 31, for our Club sites to use with the kids.

You can bring your donations to any of the Club sites or to our Administrative Offices. We can also pick up your gift if you call us at (515) 262-5695 and arrange a time for us to do so. Thank you!