New after school program coming to Atascadero
Photo from bgcpaso.org.
Kiwanis approves a three-year match challenge donation from Must! charities for Boys & Girls Club
–The Kiwanis Club of Atascadero and Must! Charities have committed to a three-year donation for Boys & Girls Club, with the opportunity for Must! to match the Kiwanis donation dollar for dollar. The funds will be given to the Boys & Girls Club of North San Luis Obispo to help launch a year-round after school program in Atascadero.
There are over a thousand children in the North County who do not have a safe place to go after school. Must! charities has been working with the Boys & Girls Club for the past few years to help alleviate this problem.
“When we heard that Kiwanis of Atascadero had chosen Boys & Girls Club as their beneficiary for their 2015 Winemaker Dinner & Auction, we thought this could be a great opportunity to partner & leverage our dollars,” said Executive Director of Must! Charities Becky Gray. “We like to give strategically over time, so that the impact of our dollars go further and the return on our investment is more than a one time drop in the bucket. Must! Charities believes wholeheartedly in collaboration, it is the premise of our mission; it’s how we operate successfully.”
Over the past few months, leaders of Must! and Kiwanis sat down together to talk about community needs, and learn more about how each organization operates. A commonality in core values and goals for the community surfaced and further discussions led to the potential idea of partnering in a strategic way. In a recent membership meeting the Kiwanis approved the three-year giving commitment and partnership with Must!
“Kiwanis is proud and excited to partner with Must! Charities and the North County Boys & Girls Club to bring an after-school program to the children and families of Atascadero,” said president of the Kiwanis Club of Atascadero Glen Casey. “The Boys & Girls Club program fits our commitment to community and children to a “T.” Providing sustainable funding through Must! Charities and Kiwanis allows the Boys & Girls Club to ramp up their external funding program and staffing without initial financial concerns. Our three-year collective commitment is substantial, however, we look forward to an even longer association with both Must! Charities and the Boys and Girls Club as the program matures and grows in Atascadero and other opportunities present themselves as we strengthen our community.”
Kiwanis International is celebrating its one-hundredth anniversary this year and the Atascadero club its forty-sixth. The club has grown from 17 members this year to 96 active and involved participants providing service to Atascadero. The Kiwanis mission is “to improve the world one child and one community at a time.” The Kiwanis Club of Atascadero fulfills this mission with projects that benefit children directly. Kiwanis was recognized as the top fund raiser for El Camino Homeless Organization’s “Long Walk Home” and the “Relay for Life” twenty-four hour walk.
