Senator Hickenlooper to Make a Special Visit to Boys & Girls Club in Denver
NEWS RELEASE | DENVER, CO (February 13, 2023) – On February 22 Senator Hickenlooper will be making a special visit to a Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver location to celebrate and witness the implementation of a 2022 congressionally directed spending grant awarded to the Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado (BGCC).
In 2022, Senator Hickenlooper and Senator Bennet awarded a $2,000,000 congressionally directed spending grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado to enhance social and emotional programming at Clubs across the state. Since then, these funds have been used to infuse new and robust social and emotional programming for thousands of youth attending Boys & Girls Clubs across the state. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, whose nationally-recognized team of 11 social workers infuse mental health support and social emotional learning into daily programming, funding is utilized to support staff training and best practices within the organization’s holistic scope of youth mental health services. During his visit, Senator Hickenlooper will have the chance to see this programming in action and learn about its state-wide impact.
Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado recognize the significant impact that that pandemic and other national tragedies and disruptions have had on young people. In 2021, Colorado Children’s Hospital declared that youth mental health in Colorado was in a “state of emergency.” Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado are one of the largest youth serving agencies on the front lines experiencing this emergency firsthand. When the opportunity to seek congressionally directed spending emerged, BGCC viewed it as an opportunity that could help Clubs better support young people during this time. This grant supports staff training and the implementation of evidenced-based social and emotional strategies and programs through the PAXIS Institute.
Media are invited for coverage and interview 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. The event will take place on Wednesday, February 22 at Robert M. Shopneck Boys & Girls Club at 1800 Longs Peak Street Brighton, Colorado 80601.
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About Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado
The Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado (BGCC) is a nonprofit organization formed to maximize the impact of 17 regional Boys & Girls Club organizations managing 80-plus locations across Colorado and serving 45,000 youth each year. BGCC drive partnerships with state government, foundations, and state-wide partner agencies. Boys & Girls Clubs exist across Colorado – in rural, urban, tribal, and military communities – to give young people access to life-changing out-of-school experiences. As a statewide organization, we facilitate collaboration and opportunities for large-scale initiatives to increase the financial stability for all Colorado Club organizations.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver changes lives. From the first day of kindergarten through high school graduation, we help kids succeed in school, develop good character and citizenship, and live healthy lives. At more than 20 neighborhood Clubs and our summer camp in Ward, CO, we provide our members with safe, supportive, fun, and enriching environments that inspire and empower them to achieve their greatest potential.
Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado Media Contact: Kaycee Headrick, kheadrick@bgca.org,
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Media Contact: Lauren Kamm, laurenk@bgcmd.org