Page 66 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2023

GIVING BACK
story by Cherie Ward
photos courtesy of
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast
Being a champion is not always about claiming titles or winning medals. Sometimes being a hero is more about changing lives.
As part of the nation’s largest youth-serving organization, the Boys and Girls Clubs chapters in South Mississippi are anchored in communities with strong, caring mentors giving kids and teens access to resources that help them thrive.
The clubs provide after-school and summer programs for students ages kindergarten through 12th grade.
Club members have access to invaluable academic support, hands-on science programs, service clubs, college readiness programs, and workforce development programs, all of which help kids and teens graduate high school with a definite plan for their future.
Wayne Buchanan, resource development director with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, said anything is possible if the kids and teens put their minds to it
and he encouraged other children to get involved in the numerous clubs along the Coast.
“There are opportunities that we provide where we can give them a job, we’re teaching them the soft skills of work ethic,” Buchanan said.
He also encouraged others in the community to get involved and to help the clubs shape and produce tomorrow’s leaders.
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast
11975 Seaway Rd., Ste. A160 www.bgcgulfcoast.org
66 | December 2023
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