When I reflect on the past 9 months and the state of the world we live in, I still cannot believe we are in this, for lack of a better word, mess. From a deadly pandemic to a global movement for racial justice, 2020 has experienced its fair share of world changing events. One thing that has remained in the forefront of all the challenges this year has been who we are and who we are becoming. Not only as individuals but as an organization, as a team. And I truly believe we wouldn't be where we are without our leader. Tony has really given us the vision to see all the opportunities this season has given to the Club.
Our mission compels us to support youth in reaching their full potential, which has been especially hard in this unprecedented year. How crazy is it that we are living through a pandemic? Who even thought that possible before this year? (Seriously, out of a Steven Soderbergh movie!) Keeping our mission in mind, we found a way to serve our kids and our community in nontraditional ways. We expanded our network of friends to be able to provide for our youth when everything initially shut down. We provided meals, activity kits, online activities and content to keep our kids connected to the Club and the community. This experience has opened doors to new collaborations and strengthened existing relationships.
Time is another gift that we were given. Without the ability to serve kids in person, we were able to step back and take a look at our policies, procedures and processes. We have begun to strategically identify our priority and are working towards, while simultaneously implementing, our plan. We have adopted many knew tools and have gained access to so many resources that have already begun to take the Club to the next level. In programs, we have determined our focus will be on improving program quality, advocating for youth and reaching more youth. With these high-level goals, tied to data, we all share the same understanding of the direction we are moving.
I would be remised not to mention the racial injustices we have seen this year. As an organization, we continue to stand against racism and discrimination, which creates a barrier not only for society, but for the young people we serve each day. We recognize the impact of systemic racism on the lives of our kids, and we believe young people should feel safe, have access to opportunities and feel valued not just at the Club, but everywhere in our society. As a Club we are looking for our role in this important shift in history. Due to the pandemic, we found ourselves with an over-abundance of interns. We utilized this amazing group of young people to help develop content to position the club to better serve our youth in the realm of social and racial justice. Project topics include: amplifying youth voice, social emotional development skills, relationships with law enforcement, diversity and inclusion. I am looking forward to seeing what this next group of interns has in store for us!
I am so excited to see who we become this year, what experiences and opportunities lie in the future for our Club and our kids. I want to thank Tony for being the leader we all needed during this difficult time. We could not have achieved all we have this year without his guidance and support.
Jenny Hall, Director of Operations
