Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Kimberly-Clark Pay Tribute to Families during National Family Week; Announces National Family Strengthening Symposium Dates and Location
This November 23 - 29, Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) and Kimberly-Clark (K-C) encourage families across the country to spend quality time together during National Family Week, a week dedicated to fostering connections between today's youth and their families.
This marks the fourth year BGCA and K-C have partnered to extend the reach of the Family PLUS (Parents Leading, Uniting, Serving) program nationally by encouraging families to participate in activities that enhance their time together. During this week, local Boys & Girls Clubs are planning community dinners, family game nights, family movie nights, multicultural holiday celebrations, lighting of the green ceremonies and talent shows.
“National Family Week is a natural fit with the tenets of the Family PLUS initiative -- a flagship program that takes a comprehensive approach to youth development by giving families the encouragement and resources needed to raise a child in today's world," said Jose Cruz, BGCA’s director of Family PLUS. “By extending National Family Week activities to all of our Clubs, we remind family members to celebrate and connect with one another during the start of the holiday season."
In conjunction with National Family Week and the Family PLUS program, Kimberly-Clark and BGCA have announced the 2009 National Family Strengthening Symposium. Through action-based workshops and learning sessions, the symposium will provide professionals working in family and youth development fields research-based information, strategies and practical tools to enrich the lives of families. Sessions will be offered in five key areas including economic opportunity, healthy lifestyles, education, risk factors and community collaborations. The event, to be held June 24-26, 2009 in Dallas, is open to all BGCA Clubs and general public interested in attending.
“This is the first year we've invited organizations and individuals dedicated to helping families to participate in the Boys & Girls Club Symposium," said Jenny L. Lewis, vice president, Kimberly-Clark Foundation. “By demonstrating the power of the Family PLUS program to other community leaders, we are creating additional opportunities for families to find the support and education they need to help today's youth.”
More information on National Family Week and the National Family Strengthening Symposium is available at the BGCA Family PLUS Web site at familyplus.bgca.org.
About Kimberly-Clark and the Family PLUS Program
While Kimberly-Clark has supported BGCA for more than 20 years, the most recent collaboration, Family PLUS, was launched in 2005 when Kimberly-Clark committed $7 million toward this key initiative. Family PLUS focuses on five key components affecting families: Kinship Care, Father Involvement, Economic Opportunity, Outreach Strategies and Family Advocacy Network (FAN Club).
