The Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka serves more than 1,500 Club members in its mission to enable all young people, especially those who need the Club’s positive influence the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is proud to partner with the Clubs, not only for a special bike giveaway, but all year through gifts of time and treasure. We hope our support makes a difference in the lives of these little Kansans. We invited Krystal Wiltz, director of development and marketing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka, to share a story through the eyes of a Club member. While the child you read about below is fictional, her situation is not.
When I woke up this morning, I knew it was going to be a great day because I get a new bicycle today! “Kamari,” I hear from my grandma as she yells in our room, “Get up and get to school.” My grandma watches me and my sister while my mom is gone. I’m not sure where she is, but I haven’t seen her for a while. My grandma makes sure I get to school and we go to Boys & Girls Club after school. “Kamari, let’s go! The bus is here.” I didn’t have time to brush my teeth and we don’t have enough food for breakfast, so I grabbed my coat and headed to the bus stop.
When I get to school, it is too late for breakfast, but I am really hungry, I can’t wait for lunch! My teacher asks for my homework and I pull mine out of my bag and turn it in. Boy, am I glad I was able to finish my math worksheet at Boys & Girls Club last night. I know my grandma doesn’t have time to help me with homework, but the staff at Boys & Girls Club makes sure I get it done. Next is reading and I LOVE reading. I am in KidzLit at Boys & Girls Club, which helps me with reading and learning cool words, which my teacher calls vocabulary words.
Now it is time for lunch! I am so glad I get to eat because it was hard to pay attention this morning with my stomach making funny noises.
After lunch, all I can think about is getting on the Boys & Girls Club bus and seeing all of my friends. The bus picks me and my sister up from school and as soon as we get to the Club we get a snack! My stomach was making funny noises on the bus, so I am glad today we are having celery, peanut butter and raisins. After a snack I finish my homework, another math worksheet and then the staff tells me it’s time to line up to head to get our new bicycles! I’m so excited because I don’t have a bicycle. We go to a place called Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and the building is HUGE! They have this great dinner for us and I eat a lot because I know I won’t eat again until lunch tomorrow. I got a new bicycle from the great people here! They care so much for me and I have never met them before. I hope I get to come back next year or maybe they can come visit me at the Club.
To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka, please visit their website.