Holiday Traditions Go On At The Clubs – Message from Terry Johnson

The holidays are usually a time of traditions, and we know this holiday season is going to look different for everyone. There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a year of adversity and challenges, but it has not been a year of defeat. Even with all the road bumps the year has presentedour amazing team at Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro never stopped serving the kids and families who need us most, and we will not stop our holiday traditions this year either 

Though we are not able to get together and celebrate the holidays with families from our Clubs this yearwe are not letting this pandemic stop us from continuing the holiday traditions we share with our families. To continue our Family Nights, we’ve partnered with local businesses this holiday season to provide free meals and gift cards for our Club communities.  We are also continuing our tradition of helping families fulfill holiday wishes through our virtual giving tree and holiday gift drives. (Check out this fun video of Santa’s Journey to our Clubs).    

Also, we are partnering with Oregon Health Authority to provide free Covid-19 tests and flu shots at our Club sites during the month of December. The health equity gaps our youth and families experience have deepened this year, so we’re thrilled to be able to offer this particular resource. As we look into the future, we’re also hoping to be able to provide the Covid-19 vaccine to our Club communities when it becomes available.  

The holidays are a time to reflect and appreciate all that we were able to achieve this year and celebrate with expectation as we look forward to what we can achieve in the new year. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland, we’re committed to keeping equity at the forefront of our mission. We will make sure we’re doing everything we can to help families get through this pandemic and economic downturn. We will continue to provide mental health support for youth and their families. Most importantly, we will continue to provide resources and opportunities for our youth to Make IPossible for them to pursue Great Futures. 

Our work cannot be done without the dedicated support of our donors, volunteers, staff, board members, familiesand community partners. Thank you all for everything you do to support Portland’s youth. I sincerely wish you all a wonderful, joyful, and healthy holiday season.  

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! 

Sincerely,  

Terry Johnson 

CEO