We delivered our promise to The Boys And Girls Club homeless shelter in Niagara Falls
Together, we accumulated enough winter wear to support two homeless shelters. (The Raft in St. Catharines & The Boys And Girls Club in Niagara Falls) We have put in a lot of hard work and dedication, and it has all been worth it. We have worked hard to meet our goals and objectives, and we are very happy with the outcome. We couldn’t have asked for anything better! We would like to thank everyone that was involved with this campaign, and still is, as we are running this campaign annually. We thank all of you who helped us attain these excellent results; without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today!
The Rich History Of The Boys And Girls Club in Niagara Falls
Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is part of a global affiliation of Boys and Girls Clubs. The first established Boys Clubs originated in the eastern United States in the late 1860s. At the same time, a similar movement was beginning in Great Britain. The first recognized use of the name “Boys’ Club” was in New Haven, Connecticut, and was used to identify a reading room and coffee shop.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada’s proud heritage of service to young Canadians has its roots in Saint John, New Brunswick, where in 1900 a group of concerned local citizens set up a “public playground movement” to provide a safe place to play for children – particularly boys – from disadvantaged circumstances, with no place to go after school but the streets. The “Every Day Club”, originally established as a winter location for the Playground Association, later became known as the East End Boys’ Club. The East End Boys Club of Saint John resulted from this initiative, becoming the first “Boys Club” in Canada. The Club’s original mission was “to give youth a chance to have some recreation and to see beyond the confines of their immediate situation.”
Since those days, “Boys Clubs” have become “Boys and Girls” Clubs and have spread across the country, as a result of grassroots initiatives similar to the one in Saint John. The national organization was established in 1929 by Vernon McAdam, the first National Executive Director, and in 1948 received its official charter as a national, non-profit organization from parliament as the Boys’ Clubs of Canada. In 1974, the name changed to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to reflect the fact that services were also accessible to a growing number of young girls who had been participating in club programs for many years. In 2021, the named changed to BGC removing gender from our name modernizes the BGC brand and echoes the inclusive practices we are known for, without straying too far from our history and brand awareness.
Throughout the over one hundred year history, BGC in Canada have provided safe, caring environments and stimulating programs. These programs have enabled some 3 million young Canadians to play, learn, and develop skills to help them achieve their full potential as contributing adults, citizens, and leaders.
