ATLANTA, March 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a time when America's families are under pressure from the shrinking dollar to the growing number of single parents to loss of kinship connections -- the need for a program to strengthen families has never been greater.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGO )
Facing these daunting challenges, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Kimberly-Clark Corporation have announced the second round of Clubs to pilot Family P.L.U.S. (Parents, Leading, Uniting, Serving). This year, 25 Clubs across the country have been selected to serve as pilot sites, incorporating Family P.L.U.S. into their overall programming. This three-year, $7 million initiative will continue the development of family-strengthening programs, plus provide resources to the local communities in which Boys & Girls Clubs are located.
Research has shown that many families are lacking the resources to clear even the smallest hurdles. Family P.L.U.S. is designed as a prototype to help Clubs that are building the capacity to better serve families and assist them in getting to the next level. By extending its reach to include families, BGCA and Kimberly-Clark believe that children have a better chance to live stable and productive lives.
With family support programs in place, parents and other caregivers are afforded the opportunity to spend quality time with their children by participating in family-oriented activities. Family P.L.U.S. is a program that also allows parents to increase their skills in various areas such as career development, financial literacy and technology.
During its first year (2006), 30 Clubs rolled out the Family P.L.U.S. program, while 24 more received Kimberly Clark Awards in recognition of their work with families, pushing the total number of Clubs servicing families to more than 500. More than 4,000 families in some capacity have participated in a large range of activities from family fun nights, parenting classes to other community involved events. Last year, many Clubs experienced a record increase in parent volunteers, some whom have made a great impact on the entire community such as Sharon Forrester of Arlington, Texas.
A parent and volunteer at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington-Shadow Brook Unit, Forrester went before Arlington's City Council to request support for the expansion of the Shadow Brook Learning Center. Because of her compelling presentation, the council contributed $100,000 toward the expansion of a new learning center.
"A stable home environment increases the likelihood of a child being successful in life," said Roxanne Spillett, president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "In keeping with our promise for the next 100 years, we are proud to enter another year collaborating with Kimberly-Clark to strengthen families and produce strong and successful youth."
The genesis of Family P.L.U.S. goes back several years, when Kimberly- Clark provided funding to help BGCA shape its vision on the necessary components to strengthen the family unit. Those components included; Kinship Care, Economic Opportunity, Father Involvement, FAN Club and Outreach/Recruitment/Retention.
The ultimate goal is to develop a family support program that can be replicated nationally, enabling BGCA to have an even greater impact and build upon its reputation as one of the most effective youth service agencies. Now, thanks to the generous support from Kimberly-Clark, the nation's fastest- growing youth organization has the opportunity to help provide resources that go beyond the walls of Clubs and into the communities to better serve members and support families.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org/) comprises a national network of some 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving more than 4.6 million young people, in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation, and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
About Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Kimberly-Clark Corporation and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people-nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and learn more about the company's 135-year history of innovation, visit http://www.kimberly-clark.com/.
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk,
