ATLANTA, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty
Boys & Girls Clubs across the country will launch a newly
chartered Keystone Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of America's (BGCA)
premier teen character and social action program, thanks to
start-up grants from Aaron's Foundation, Inc. The Keystone Club
program is a teen-driven program designed to inspire service
and leadership for members ages 14 to 18. This unique leadership
development experience provides opportunities for youth to
participate in activities in four focus areas: community service,
academic success, career preparation and teen outreach.
"It's important to create a supportive and inspiring community
for our teens, and the Keystone program in Clubs throughout the
country does just that," said Jim
Clark, president and CEO of BGCA. "By empowering teens
through social action projects, we can help them reach their full
potential as productive and caring citizens. We are grateful to
have a like-minded partner in Aaron's to help us reach this goal
enabling all of our Club teens to achieve a great future."
The grant comes with a Keystone Program guide, a Race to the
Club guide to assist in Teen Outreach efforts, a National Project
Kit and chartering information to assist Clubs looking to create,
build and strengthen their Keystone programs. Each of the following
Clubs will receive the $1,000 grant
from Aaron's Foundation, Inc.:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake Eufaula Chattahoochee Courts,
Eufaula, Ala.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia Southwood Club,
Charlottesville, Va.
- West Contra Costa Salesian Boys & Girls Club, Richmond, Calif.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford West Middle Community
School, Hartford, Conn.
- Boys & Girls Club of Jackson County Jefferson Unit,
Jefferson, Ga.
- MCAS Yuma Youth Center MCAS, Yuma,
Ariz.
- Boys & Girls Club of Woonsocket, Woonsocket, R.I.
- Boys & Girls Club of Troy,
Troy, Mich.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast Northside Club,
Largo, Fla.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Truckee Meadows Libby Booth
Elementary, Reno, Nev.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming Greater Casper,
Casper, Wyo.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland & Macomb Counties
Ferndale Unit, Royal Oak,
Mich.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley Lapwai Unit,
Lewiston, Idaho
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County Goldsboro Unit,
Goldsboro, N.C.
- Community Boys & Girls Club Samuel J. Howie Teen Center,
Wilmington, N.C.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Foothills Mary Wilcox Teen
Center, Monrovia, Calif.
- Boys & Girls Club of Buena
Park, Buena Park,
Calif.
- Boys & Girls Club of Hot
Springs, Hot Springs,
Ark.
- The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oklahoma
Shawnee, Shawnee, Okla.
- Boys & Girls Club of Coffee County Douglas Unit,
Douglas, Ga.
"As sponsor of the Keystone Club program, we've seen how much
potential teens have to make a difference in the lives of their
peers, community members, and themselves," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's. "With 2016
designated as the Year of the Teen for Boys & Girls Clubs, we
are proud to offer 20 new start-up grants to foster teen leadership
at Clubs across the country."
Aaron's Foundation, Inc. is also a sponsor of the National
Keystone Conference, which brings teens together from around the
globe to tackle youth issues head-on. This year, nearly 2,300 teen
and Club staff attended from 157 cities and five
countries attended, making this one of the largest youth leadership
conferences in the U.S.
The partnership extends beyond financial support. The Aaron's
team brings its expertise as a lease-to-own retailer specializing
in furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and
accessories, by renovating Boys & Girls Clubs teen centers
across the U.S. Aaron's associates recently volunteered their time
in Jackson, Miss. to paint,
decorate and furnish the Club's computer lab, theater and
entertainment room and their program space.
In 2015, Aaron's Foundation, Inc. announced a three-year,
$5 million commitment to the Keystone
Club program.
About Aaron's, Inc.
Headquartered in
Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN)
is a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty
retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and
accessories, and currently has more than 2,000 Company-operated and
franchised stores in 47 states and Canada. Progressive
Leasing, a leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides
lease-purchase solutions through approximately 17,000 retail
locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc. (DAMI), d/b/a the
HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit products that
are originated through a federally insured bank. Aaron's was
founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982 and owns the
Aarons.com, ShopHomeSmart.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com
brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com. To learn more
about Aaron's Foundation, Inc., please visit
www.AaronsGives.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For
more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(www.bgca.org) has changed and saved lives, enabling young people
to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible
citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve some 4
million children and teens through Club membership and community
outreach. Clubs are located in neighborhoods throughout the country
and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing a wide
variety of youth development programs conducted by trained,
professional staff. Key programs emphasize academic success, good
character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris
Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives.
National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
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SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America