Let's Move Initiative

BGCNF kids at Woodland Relay Day

For those of you who don't know- Michelle Obama started a campaign known as Let's Move, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity. Here at BGCNF it goes without saying that we have a passion for children and their futures. We do our best to ensure that our club members realize their full potential, and being the health nut that I am, I thought it would be beneficial to shed some light on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. 

First, let's talk numbers...

Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese. If we don't solve this problem, one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma.

Second, let's take action...

The Let's Move initiative formulated numerous plans to face the challenge of childhood obesity. There's a plan for everyone- a plan for kids, chefs, community leaders, schools, parents, etc. We can all do our parts to support this initiative!   

Video from The First Lady

& finally...

"Let's talk numbers" & Video, courtesy of http://www.letsmove.gov/

Books for Tots

This summer, we partnered with CSX to unroll the pilot Books for Tots literacy program. I had the chance to visit John Love Elementary School and witness the program first-hand. The kids seemed to be very excited to participate, and as soon as I caught a glimpse of one of the books- I was excited!

I remember reading the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as a child- which was probably passed down from my sisters. I'm pretty sure I didn't understand the meaning of the book then- that everyone has bad days, no matter where you are, but I still enjoyed reading the book regardless.

The program focuses on the importance of literacy and will also teach the children valuable lessons. The books, donated by the library, will be checked out and read by the children each week. They will focus on highlighted themes such as "Do the Right Thing," and "Find a Way." CSX volunteers will engage in a reading discussion with the children following the completion of each book. The program runs on Mondays from 11 a.m. to noon through July 23rd.

-Holly, 2012 Summer Development Intern

This is my first blog post for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida. As the Summer Development Intern I have greatly valued my time spent with the organization. We are now easing past the halfway mark of summer, and I cannot believe how fast the time has flown! It seems like just yesterday I took a step into the office...

 After a lot of research on blogging for nonprofits, my supervisor and I came to the conclusion that blogging for our organization had to be done. We hope that you will interact with our updates. More importantly, we hope you enjoy them.

Oh yeah, and she's currently seeking Fall interns...

"The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida is looking for a Development Intern for the 2012 Fall semester. This internship combines all aspects from PR to event planning to social media. Please email courtneyw@bgcnf.org for a description. We would love to have you join our team!"