2019 Report by Northeast Board President Dr. John Shepard

In the near 30 years of my tenure on the board of the Boys & Girls Club, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the kids in our community and pleased as to what we have accomplished in this past year.

We completed the merger with the North Central organization and are now operating as one — the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Louisiana. This merger has given us the chance to fill some administrative positions, consolidate some expenses, and most importantly, given us the opportunity to reach more kids.

We have taken advantage of this merger by increasing the size of our board, and in return, we are able to get out into our community more and tell the story of our local Boys & Girls Club.

Though our stories and successes change each year, the one constant is that our Club gives kids a safe place to learn, to have fun and to be fed.

One of the most encouraging experiences for me each year is the Annual Thanksgiving Dinner that we provide for our members, their families, as well as the community. There is nothing more touching than seeing kids come back and ask for more food, knowing that they’re hungry and you are meeting their needs. The Thanksgiving Dinner is really good evidence that we are doing some good in the world.

We also do this through our Annual Giving Campaign, which we renamed this year to “Ignite the Light”. We feel that this phrase encompasses all that our board, our staff and our volunteers strive to do for our kids each day. We want to light a path for our kids to show them the way to great futures.

We are thankful for our community support in helping us with this effort. Like other non-profits, we can’t do it alone — we need you!

May you have a blessed holiday season and a prosperous new year. We are looking forward to a strong 2020 at the Boys & Girls Club and would love for you to be a part of it!