Media contact: Ike Crumpler (772) 201-9996
MARTIN COUNTY—Children from low-income households struggling with the regular lack of basic necessities are getting exactly what they need to put their best foot forward—literally.
As part of its exciting new initiative, Project New Step Foundation & the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County secured over a thousand pairs of Nike sneakers to provide to kids across the community.
Visit Projectnewstep.org for more.
Distribution of the shoes will take place on varying days at BCGMC’s five clubs. The media is invited to document the moments when the children receive their shoes.
- May 7: Hobe Sound temporary club, 8891 SE Bridge Road, Hobe Sound
- May 12: Greater Stuart Club, 551 SE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Stuart
- May 13: Bill & Barbara Whitman Club, 17375 SW Palm Beach Street, Indiantown
- May 14: Jensen Beach High School, 2875 NW Goldenrod Road, Jensen Beach
- May 15: John & Marge Bolton Club, 4731 SE Flounder Ave., Port Salerno
“There are sure to be some really special moments of joy and appreciation as the kids receive what for many of them will be the nicest pair of shoes they’ve ever owned,” says Keith “Fletch” Fletcher, president and CEO of BGCMC. “Everyone who’s ever taken care of a child knows how quickly they can grow out of their shoes. The financial burden this can create weighs heavy on many of our families. So, we’re honored to help meet this need and give the kids the boost of confidence and satisfaction that so often comes with wearing a new pair of shoes.”
Broad Reach, Great Need
With nearly 1,000 young people, ages 5 to 18, in the daily care of its clubs and 10,000 more impacted annually through its outreach programs, BGCMC goes beyond providing an afterschool safe haven. Each club upholds an atmosphere comprehensively designed to help the members reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.
Many of the members hail from difficult home environments and know all-too-well the harsh realities of unstable family dynamics, financial uncertainty and food insecurity.
As high as 87 percent of BGCMC members are from low-income households. Some 75 percent of these lack regular access to healthy food. Sixty-six percent of members perform below grade level in English Language Arts. As many as 30 percent of club members endure unmet metal health needs.
Addressing Nutritional Needs
BGCMC emphasizes academics, healthy lifestyles and good citizenship—and backs up such principles with actions that alleviate the urgent needs of its members. In addition to employing certified teachers to assist the children with academic help that’s linked directly to what they’re learning in the classroom, BGCMC provides healthy snacks and a meal—two during the summer—every day to its members.
The clubs also provide each member with a backpack full of healthy food staples to take home every weekend and over the holidays, ensuring they enjoy a steady supply of nutritional meals.
Meeting Mental Health Needs
BGCMC operates a team of professionals that deliver trauma-informed, solution-focused, confidential therapy to its members. The therapy team—as well as the entire staff—remain specially trained to identify signs of trauma and respond accordingly. T
he four-tier therapy program engages the members’ families, teachers and coaches, offers group and individual therapist-facilitated mentoring, and coordinates with trusted mental health partners, or even activating long-term treatment if necessary.
As with every BGCMC service, therapy is provided to the members free of charge.
Empowering Through Education, Employment
BGCMC also helps prepare its members for success in the marketplace by availing them to a variety of technical education and training sessions, industry certifications, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.
Its acclaimed culinary program includes a catering operation and food truck—called Fork in the Road—in which the members handle nearly 100 percent of the operations. From growing herbs and vegetables, creating recipes and menu items, cooking, serving, cleaning, marketing—every duty except driving the truck falls to the kids in the program. Participants also earn $15 an hour as they work.
Many of the members use their earnings to help their parents or guardians cover household expenses.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County
Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County is committed to enabling all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Through a wide range of programs focused on academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character, BGCMC provides a safe and nurturing environment where youth can thrive and build a great future