Natchez, Adams County and the Miss-Lou, your kids — our kids — need your help! And they need it fast!

The same economic woes that have robbed retirement funds, bankrupt corporations and cost many their jobs, now threaten to close a critical youth services program in Natchez — the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Miss-Lou.

In these tough times, the Boys and Girls Club of the Miss-Lou is needed, now more than ever, to support entire families here in our community. While parents are worried about making ends meet and keeping their jobs, they can still rely on the club to ensure their children are in a safe, positive and affordable environment.

As you can imagine, the club has been very busy. But we are facing the harsh reality that without community and financial support, we will have to close our doors — permanently.

Imagine what families would do if they did not have a place like the club to take their kids? Imagine how many young people would be left alone, unsupervised?

They need us

The kids in the Miss-Lou have been directly impacted by the changes in the nation today. With more than 4,000 registered members, the majority come from families with household incomes below the federal poverty guidelines. We have also seen significant increases in use of our services by families falling within higher income brackets that have been forced to take on second jobs, or who needed to find other programs for their children.

We need your help to ensure that these children have a safe, positive place to be, supervised by professionals, participating in life-enhancing programs.

Without such a place, the negative consequences are felt for decades through increased crime, increased dropout rates, and higher rates of unemployment and teen pregnancy.

Hope amid trying times

At the Boys & Girls Club, it is our job to give each child a real sense of hope and opportunity. We work to help each child reach their individual potential and we carry out our mission with care. We take it one child at a time.

Without your generosity, our club will not be able to stay open any longer. For the kids we serve, and their families, we will not be able to continue to provide:

4A safe place for those who might otherwise be left alone after school or on the streets with no guidance.

4Life-enhancing programs that can open young minds. The Boys & Girls Club exposes youth to new ideas and skills that prepare them for life. We teach the importance of character in all of our programs.

4A relationship with caring, trained adults that can positively influence the character of a child.

4Hope and opportunity as young people experience our club, we become a place for hope. Hope leads to increased confidence and a brighter future.

Our staff, headed by Chief Professional Officer Fay Minor, is dedicated to teaching the importance of character in daily life. They are caring adults who strive to direct children to choose right from wrong. They instill a sense of belonging and promote feelings of competence. They give children a chance to make positive choices.

At the Boys & Girls Club of the Miss-Lou we offer programs and activities within five core program areas: character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts and sports, fitness and recreation. These time-tested and nationally recognized programs help prepare young people for success with a focus on three areas of impact: academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles.

Why am I involved with the club?

It’s really about results. Boys & Girls Clubs help kids by providing a positive outlet for their energy instead of leaving them to wander the streets and get into trouble. They teach kids right from wrong and how to get along. Clubs help kids see that they can be whatever they want to be — regardless of their family situation. Through the Camp for Performing Arts I direct for the club every summer, I have personally seen the positive effects when a child begins to believe in themselves, in the possibility that he or she can do more and be more than they’ve ever imagined. It is more fulfilling to witness that transformation in a child than the opening night of any film I’ve produced. Besides taking care of my own family, I cannot imagine anything more important than helping kids and families of our community. And if our community is to survive, even thrive, we must do everything we can to give our kids — all our kids — every possible chance at success in life. The Boys & Girls Club of the Miss-Lou fills a critical void in youth services in our community. We must not let it close!

Please join us, current and former board members, in supporting this important organization and keep our club open.

Send your tax-deductible contribution to: P.O. Box 781, Natchez, MS 39121. Or give us a call — we’ll be happy to come pick it up and say “thank you” in person!

Jennifer Ogden Combs is on the board of the Boys & Girls Club. Other board members are, John Ball, Robert McNeeley, Pat Biglane, Fay Minor, Thomas “Boo” Campbell, Tommy O’Beirne, Everett Sanders, Judge Patricia Dunmore, Judge Lillie Sanders, Darryl Grennell, Matilda Stephens, Judge John Hudson, Darlene Jones, Lionel Stepter, Phillip West and the Rev. LeRoy White.

64 Homochitto Street

P.O. Box 781, Natchez, MS 39121

601.304.5548; 601.304.5549 fax

boysmiss@bellsouth