Addressing Food Insecurity with Family Meal Kits
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Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities (BGCTC) is offering free weekly meal packages to Club families to address the increased food insecurities kids and families are facing with work disruptions and school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This expanded meal program – Family Meal Kits – provides nutritious family-style meals and is part of BGCTC’s multi-faceted response plan and ongoing commitment to provide resources that support caregivers as well as children.
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The Family Meal Kits program launched Wednesday, April 1. Six Club locations across the Twin Cities served 13,200 dinner meals to 660 families, with the number served expected to grow each week. Boxes of pre-sorted meal components will be distributed at Club locations each Wednesday, with each box containing enough food to provide five dinners for a family of four. Households with more than four members will receive additional boxes. Families can sign up to receive a Family Meal Kit by contacting a
Club location
in their community.
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The implementation of the Family Meal Kits program follows a
significant financial contribution
announced last Friday by the Minnesota Vikings and the Wilf family. In a letter to fans, the Wilf family explained that resources would be directed to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities "...as they determine how to continue youth and family support during this time of closure for their centers. Specifically, dollars will go directly toward meal and education services to more than 1,000 youth during this crisis."
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Although our Clubs are currently closed for youth programming in accordance with state guidance for the COVID-19 response plan, we have a responsibility during this time to increase support for our families who now face additional challenges. Evolving data shows the COVID-19 outbreak will have disproportionate health and economic impacts on the communities we serve. School closures, work disruptions, and quarantines strike hard at individuals and families who already lack resources and access to services. We are working hard to increase services for our families, including:
- Connection to food. BGCTC employees are working with food distributors, grocers, and restaurants to provide weekly meal packages for our families, as well as additional nutrition resources in their respective communities. Distribution of Family Meal Kits began April 1, with 13,200 dinner meals to 660 families, with the number served expected to grow in future weeks. We are also connecting families to other basic needs resources.
- Programs and academic support as a virtual learning model. During this time of adversity, it is imperative that we continue pushing forward to provide academic support for our kids and families. We are working diligently to provide virtual programming and touchpoints with youth.
- Plans to reopen our Clubs as soon as allowed under the state COVID-19 response plan, most likely with a small-group program model. We are anticipating that we will be able to open for full-day programming at the Clubs before schools reopen. The model will add expenses to our operating budget for staffing and additional meals, essentially ramping expenses to our full-day summer program model much earlier than anticipated.
Despite the fact that we’ve had to close our doors and need to practice social distancing until further notice, all BGCTC staff continue to work very closely with our families and one another to develop a new model that will ensure best practices and action plans that support our youth, families, and our community. This will also better equip our organization for the greater need that will present itself once we are able to re-open our Clubs.
Many nonprofit agencies will face financial disruption because of COVID-19, putting serious pressure on operating budgets. BGCTC is living this uncertainty right now.
That is why your support is needed now more than ever.
We ask that you consider walking alongside our organization during this challenging time by making a gift to support our continued efforts and the continued needs of our kids and families.
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Ke'la Scuefield Wins Minnesota Youth of the Year
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities' Youth of the Year, Ke'la Scuefield, was awarded the title of Minnesota Youth of the Year on March 16. Despite the cancellation of this year's Minnesota Youth of the Year events in St. Paul due to COVID-19 concerns, all eight contestants put their best foot forward to impress the judges via virtual presentations. Ke'la, a senior from our Patrick Henry Club, captivated the judges with her bright optimism and dedication to creating positive growth within her community.
This summer, Ke'la will compete with contestants from all over the region for the Midwest Youth of the Year title. We are so proud of Ke'la and very excited to see what's next in store for her! Congratulations, Ke'la!
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Supporting Families During the St. Paul Public Schools Teacher Strike
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On March 10, all teachers at St. Paul Public Schools went on strike for one week during contract negotiations. To mitigate the impact of school closures for our kids and families, our St. Paul Clubs served as safe sites for current and new members.
During the week of the strike, each St. Paul Club location offered daytime programming from 8:00am to 5:30pm daily, with breakfast and lunch served. Volunteer groups were also placed in each Club to help lead interactive literacy and STEAM activities, exciting sports workshops, and more!
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Thanks for Attending Spring Thaw!
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We had a wonderful time at the 8th Annual Spring Thaw Gala on March 7, and we hope you did as well! It was a truly enjoyable evening of delicious food, exciting auctions, and incredible youth performances.
With the contributions of our guests, we raised nearly
$55,000
for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities! A big thank you goes out to our Associate Board, sponsors, and supporters for making this event possible.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
*Due to concerns surrounding COVID-19, we are exploring options for virtual or postponed events. Your sponsorship and participation in our events supports BGCTC’s delivery of critical programs to the community. We will be providing more details soon regarding our upcoming events. Please direct any questions to Amy Kuehn, Director of Special Events, at
[email protected]
.
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Tailgate at the Taproom
TBD
Tailgate at the Taproom
recognizes our outstanding Club members and gives supporters a chance to engage with our youth at an outing to a Twins game. The evening begins with a Happy Hour reception at Fulton Taproom featuring a silent auction before guests head to Target Field to enjoy a ball game with Club members.
Any questions, please contact Director of Special Events Amy Kuehn at
[email protected]
or 651-200-4107.
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Great Futures Fair
TBD
The
Great Futures Fair
seeks to connect passion with purpose. Teens and young adults from across the Twin Cities will have the opportunity to meet with local corporations, businesses, colleges, tech schools, and trade unions as they begin to plan their post-secondary paths. The fair will educate and introduce teens to the multitude of employment and educational opportunities that exist across the metro area and allow prospective employers and educators to interact first-hand with the next generation of employees and students.
For questions regarding teen outreach and attendance, please contact Andréa Carroll-Franck at
[email protected]
or 651-200-4114. For questions regarding vendors or sponsorship information, please contact Tim Schober at
[email protected]
or 651-200-4108.
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You Can Change a Child's Life
With your support, we can continue to provide life-changing academic, leadership, and healthy lifestyles programming to youth across the Twin Cities.
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