FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 22, 2010

$10,000 Grant from the Walmart Foundation Helps Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove Launch a “Bright Spot” Reading Café at McGarvin Intermediate

Garden Grove, CA (September 22, 2010) – Boys & Girls Club of Garden Grove (BGCGG) received a $10,000 grant to launch a new reading initiative that promotes both educational and leisure reading for adolescents. Nationally, the Walmart Foundation awarded Boys & Girls Clubs of America with $1.5 million to help establish reading Bright Spots at 100 Clubs across the U.S. 

The Wal-Mart Foundation’s Bright Spot for Reading initiative for adolescent readers will help create a reading center, provide training for staff, and encourage relationships to ensure the success of young members. 

Beginning September 22, The Reading Café will kick-off locally at Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove’s McGarvin Intermediate site, with at least 55 Club members, ages 11 to 15, to participate through March 2011.  The café will be open not only during afterschool, but also lunch hours to allow students more time to read.

The Reading Café will provide youth a Starbucks-style retreat and a relaxing reading atmosphere, surrounded with sounds of classical music and the luxury of modern chairs, tables, and shelves from IKEA. The café will also feature brand new books from reading lists provided by Garden Grove Unified School District, geared at youth ages 11 to 15, combined with programming to encourage adolescents to read more and develop a more positive attitude toward reading.

Programming will include activities on laptop computers with upgraded reading software, field trips to local public libraries and bookstores, and a book club membership with incentives. Also, members will launch Club Hollywood, which teach skills in scriptwriting on films based on popular teen novels.

“The Walmart Foundation’s Bright Spot for Reading Initiative is essential in preparing youth for academic and life success,” continued Angie Nakamoto, Associate Director of School Age Programs of Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, “We are grateful to The Walmart Foundation for the opportunity to create an environment that will encourage and allow our youth to enjoy and develop an affinity for reading.”

In addition to the Club’s new Bright Spot Reading Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s teen web site www.myclubmylife.com will serve as a resource for the Club to promote the reading initiative; highlight age-appropriate books and book reviews; and encourage teens and tweens to read more and share their reading experiences with others.  Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grovewill also strengthen existing and develop new relationships with local libraries to enhance its programs and services.

For more questions about the new Bright Spot Reading Café, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at (714) 530-5399 x25.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has enabled young people, especially those who need Clubs most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4.2 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From Feb. 1, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $512 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally, $467 million of which was donated in the U.S. To learn more, visitwww.walmartfoundation.org.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove

For more than 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove (BGCGG)has helped kids “BE GREAT” by changing and saving young lives, playing an integral role in its community. Striving to help children succeed in life, Boys & Girls Clubs provide hope and opportunity through afterschool, family support, and community outreach programs. Our 57 program sites serve over 8,500 families annually and 5,000 young people daily, from “Diapers to Diplomas,” ages 18 months-18 years old.

The Clubs are open daily with programs in character and leadership development, education and career enhancement, the arts, health and life skills, and sports, fitness and recreation. Our family outreach programs such as Family Campus Preschool, School Readiness, REACH For Literacy (Reading Education for Adults & CHildren), ARCHES (Access to Resources for Children's Health, Education and Support), FYOP (Family & Youth Outreach Program), and TRC (Truancy Reduction Center) expand our services to ensure that the needs of the whole child are met. Through our efforts we do our best to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Please visit www.begreatgardengrove.orgfor more information. Great Futures Start Here.

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