FSS Insider

Jr. TRAIL (Training Responsible Adolescents In Leadership) NAMED MERIT WINNER IN NATIONAL SERVICE COMPETITION

Local youth honored for efforts to help children through Giving to CARES:  A Children’s Organization service project

Mountain Home AFB, ID, March 2012 – Jr. TRAIL has been named a national merit winner for its efforts to help children in a national service competition from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Staples Foundation, a private foundation created by Staples, Inc. The Club made blankets and backpacks to donate to kids in transition at the CARES organization. Members of the organization’s Torch Club, a character and leadership program for Boys & Girls Clubs members age 11 to 13, spearheaded the service project, which was selected out of more than 235 entries from across the country. As a merit winner, the Torch Club received $500 from Staples Foundation and BGCA for their service project to help others.

Our Linking Hearts and Hands project was to donate to the CARES organization associated with St. Luke's Hospital in Boise, ID.  The CARES program gives medical care to children who are alleged abuse victims. The program asks for donations to give to the children being placed in foster care.  After reading all this information, the youth of Jr. Trail decided they would like to help these children by giving them items to comfort them in a difficult time.  The youth looked on the CARES website to best determine what kinds of items they were looking for.  They also contacted the director in charge of the organization to find out what quantities they are looking for in donation items.  The youth decided they would make drawstring backpacks so the children would have something of their own to put their belongings in.  They also made blankets so the children would have something to comfort themselves with, and they decided to look through their houses to find any toys, movies, etc to donate to the children.  The youth found patterns on the internet to make the bags and blankets.  From these patterns they determined how much fabric they would need and the type of skills they would need to learn in order to make the items.  After purchasing all the materials needed the youth began to make their items.  They started with the blankets because the youth decided they would be easier to make and would take less time.  Afterwards they made the drawstring backpacks.  The final step in their process was to contact the CARES organization to set up a time to drop off all the donations.

The national service competition is held annually to inspire and reward youth for helping others. Each year, there is a theme for the national contest that deals with an important issue. Then, Club members work together to plan and implement an activity to address the issue in their community. Torch Club members across the country chose the theme of “children helping children,” so the contest encouraged members to complete service projects that benefited other children in need. By participating in the contest, called Linking Hearts & Hands, Club members learned the value of giving back and seeing a project to completion. In the process, they gained a better understanding of the needs of other youth – locally, nationally and globally – and shared their knowledge with others.

“Developing strong character and leadership skills is integral to helping children grow into conscientious members of society,” said Erin Arel, Child/Youth Program Assistant and Jr. TRAIL advisor of Jr. TRAIL. “Through the Linking Hearts & Hands national service initiative, our members learned lessons about compassion, kindness and hard work which will help them become positive citizens and leaders in their community and school.”

Torch Clubs are small groups within Boys & Girls Clubs designed for the development needs of children age 11 to 13 that encourage positive self-esteem and personal growth; build communication skills; reinforce academic achievement; and encourage the development of conscientious citizenship. Torch Club’s mission is to motivate pre-teens to become role models and ambassadors for promoting good character, tolerance, diversity and inclusion among peers. With the guidance of adults who mentor and empower them, Club members develop essential character traits and leadership skills as they learn to influence others in a positive way.

“Staples has a long-standing relationship with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and we’re proud to support programs that encourage and reward civic engagement and community service,” said Emily McCann, manager of community relations for Staples. “Through Boys & Girls Clubs initiatives like the Torch Club national service competition, we’re able to help fulfill our mission to make a positive impact on the communities we serve, and spark a lasting passion for character and leadership in our youth.”

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, nearly 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve some 4 million children and teens through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. Clubs provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at bgca.org/facebook and bgca.org/twitter.

About Staples Community and Giving

Staples contributes to educational and youth-oriented community efforts, from literacy and mentoring to career skills development, through in-kind and monetary donations and grants from Staples Foundation, the private charitable arm of Staples, Inc.  Through its community and giving efforts, Staples and Staples Foundation have helped more than 6,000 organizations in 2,000 communities across 27 countries. Community and Giving is also an integral component of Staples Soul, which recognizes the connection between long-term business success and the impact Staples has on associates, communities and the planet.  For more information, visit staples.com/community.