As we wrap up another year of unbelievable impact at BGC, I want to take some time over the coming month to share something a little different with you: BGC Truths. And, as a friend of BGC (you DID open and are reading this email, after all!), I think you can handle it.
BGC Truth #1: “At-risk” “underprivileged” “poor” are words BGC avoids using because our kids, youth, and our families are (or could be) listening when we talk about BGC.
You may or may not have consciously noticed dialogue out in the world about “at-risk” and “underprivileged” kids because societally, we’ve been trained to think about things that way. But imagine how it would feel for a kid to realize they’ve been defined or labelled that way! When kids and youth come to BGC, we want them to feel like they are amazing, and to feel seen and heard for who they REALLY are. So, we hold ourselves accountable to speak about them in strengths-based ways.
And the truth is, that makes our job harder. There are a lot of people out there who are waiting for or feeling like they need us to use those words. Before they support us, they want to hear the sad stories and the difficult things that kids and youth go through. By choosing to focus on the positive, we might not get the attention of those people.
Every day at BGC, we see the AMAZING and POSITIVE changes in kids and youth as they grow up because they have friends and mentors at their Club that see them for who they truly are. And that’s something we ALL deserve. This holiday season, I encourage you to see the world in this way, lean into positivity, and celebrate the people in your life for their strengths and triumphs.
Happy holidays to you and yours,
Carolyn
President & CEO
