Letter from the CEO

Friends and Supporters,

For more than eight decades, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) has been igniting the unlimited potential of kids and teens like Nila by offering safe, inclusive, and engaging environments for them to thrive. In more than 25 Clubs across 10 Metro Atlanta counties, our vision and hope for the youth we serve is to see thousands of young leaders rising to new heights and building Great Futures for themselves, their communities, and the world.

Even in times of great challenge and uncertainty, our doors have remained open to keep this vision within reach. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, we conducted more than 7,500 outreach calls, provided more than 120,000 meals, offered devices and virtual learning hubs, and implemented heightened safety protocols across our footprint. As cries for racial justice escalated across the country, we developed culturally relevant programming to support the social-emotional needs of kids and families when they needed us most.

These societal inflection points clarified just how essential Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s services are—and have always been.

Yet we have more work to do. As economic and racial inequities grow more complex and Metro Atlanta continues to recover from the pandemic, our youth need us more urgently now than ever before. Our Rising Together campaign will enable Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta to rise to meet this moment by pursuing a renewed mission and RISE 2025 strategic plan that calls for serving more kids, more often, with greater impact.

Every young person has what it takes to realize their unlimited potential, and the time is now to invest in the people, places, and programs that make that path clear. Together, we will continue to create equitable pathways for our kids and teens to excel, surround them with a village of mentors and peers throughout their K-12 experience, and launch them into a world of hope and possibility.

Please join us so that more kids living in Metro Atlanta achieve the Great Futures they deserve.

Yours in the movement,

David Jernigan, President & CEO