Steak n’Burger Dinner

Thursday Evening April 27th, 2023

I would like to welcome you to our 52nd Annual Steak n’ Burger dinner! Steak n’ Burger has been bringing our Club members and supporters, like you, together to share a meal for 52 years. I encourage you to share your insight and listen to the many success stories from our Club members of how the Boys & Girls Club has impacted their lives. Of course, all of these stories would not be possible if it were not for the wonderful staff and volunteers who work hard to make a difference in the lives of Memphis children and teens.

Every day, thousands of kids count on our Clubs to provide an after-school meal, a caring mentor, and computers to help with homework, intramural sports, art classes, and a safe and positive place to achieve their full potential. In addition, our Technical Training Center provides our young adults ages 16-21 with employability skills and training to be placed in local jobs and higher education.

Currently, we serve over 5,500 youth between the ages of 6-18 years and tonight will introduce you to 120 Club members that consider the Club to be their second home. Your attendance here tonight means so much to us and the children sitting at your table. Please take the time to talk with them and find out for yourself how important the Club is to them. They are the future of our city and your support will be the foundation that will enable these children to reach their goals and dreams.

Most importantly, all of these wonderful programs would not be possible if it were not for friends and supporters like you. You are the difference in the lives of our Club members. We sincerely thank you for all that you do for our kids.

Again, thank you for joining us tonight. We hope you enjoy the evening and getting to know our kids just as much as they enjoy getting to know you!

Keith Blanchard President & CEO

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis serve youth from neighborhoods experiencing the highest levels of poverty and crime in the city. Among 381 U.S. metro areas, Memphis ranks in the 1st percentile in terms of children’s ability to move up from the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder (The Opportunity Atlas, 2018). The children in the communities we serve experience extreme inequities in their education. According to the Tennessee Department of Education, 1 in 5 students in Memphis do not graduate from high school on time. Economic opportunity is also lacking for the demographic we serve. Data shows that 88 percent of executives and senior-level managers in the Memphis area were white. In the lowest-paying job categories, nearly 76 percent of laborers and 73 percent of service workers were black (U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission). Since 1962, BGCM has been part of the ecosystem dedicated to ensuring all children and teens can take advantage of every opportunity Memphis has to offer. Our staff works hard to foster a community of support by cultivating trusting relationships with Club members and their families. We design programs that inspire children to grow in every area of their lives. These programs center around the value of giving back to your community; the importance of physical, mental and emotional health; the power of education; and the understanding that tremendous opportunities are within reach for those who work hard. For the past decade, we have seen 99% of BGCM seniors graduate from high school on time with plans for their futures. We consider successful placement to be enrolling in secondary education, securing a full-time job, or joining the military.

The Memphis TN-MS-AR metropolitan area (MSA) has the highest opportunity youth rate among the largest metropolitan areas in the country, with 21.6 percent of youth ages 16-24 not currently enrolled in school and not working. In a city with high demand for a workforce, we believe this group of young people present incredible untapped potential for employers throughout Memphis. By strategically serving this demographic of teenagers and young adults, we are paving a path for them to advance the trajectory of their careers, enhance their earning capacity, and serve their community.

At the end of 2020, we secured a 9 million dollar funding agreement with the City of Memphis, Memphis City Council, and Memphis Shelby County Schools to open 10 new Club sites in Shelby County Schools. The main focus of these new school Club sites, majority of which are serving high school students, is workforce development. We will support these young people in creating plans for their futures and developing the skills to put those plans into action. We believe this requires a commitment to graduate from high school, a thoughtful approach to career exploration, thorough research on viable options for post-secondary education, considerate action around personal health and self-care, as well as consistent practice of soft and hard skills. As part of our workforce development curriculum, we’ve initiated an Odyssey Life Readiness program with lessons that align with each of these focus areas.

Club members at each school Club site will have the opportunity to engage in our soft and hard skills courses, substantially increasing the number of youth we reach at the TTC in the coming years. Our soft skills classes teach resume building, conflict resolution, goal setting, financial literacy, time management, career development planning, professional dress, interviewing, and customer service. Students also select a hard skill class in culinary, logistics, welding, STEM, and/or automotive service. Students receive industry certifications upon completion, making them more marketable to employers. The Odyssey Life Readiness program combined with the pathways offered at our Juice Plus+ Technical Training Center creates a holistic approach to our workforce development program.

PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE