Capitol Federal Foundation Gift to Provide Immediate Help to Boys & Girls Club Families
LAWRENCE, Kan. – While the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence staff is working to quickly adjust to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a piece of great news was delivered Monday morning. The Capitol Federal Foundation®, our partner in doing ‘Whatever It Takes to Build Great Futures’, donated $700,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kansas to bring immediate relief to Club kids and their families.
This enormously generous gift will serve Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka and South Central Kansas.
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude,” said Monica Dittmer, Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Interim CEO. “When something that you could never have predicted hits us all at once, each of us immediately worries about those kids. They are at the heart of everything we do, and when we cannot serve them and check in on them every day, we lose a part of ourselves. This incredible donation will help us ensure that we can provide meals-to-go and that we can continue to provide interactive programming from a virtual perspective. We are eternally grateful.”
Capitol Federal® CEO John B. Dicus was exceptionally gracious in his comments about choosing to support Clubs across the state of Kansas.
“During these unique circumstances, investing in our future is a top priority,” Dicus said. “Capitol Federal has always been a proud supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs across our communities and fully support the work they do for families. This grant will positively impact children by concentrating on those most in need. We are thankful for the efforts of Boys & Girls Clubs of Kansas for supporting, educating, entertaining and nourishing the children in our communities during this crisis.”
Specifically, in Lawrence, this donation will ensure that Club families will have a fully-stocked food pantry for families to shop from. The food pantry was established through a partnership with Just Food, but as Just Food continues to serve more and more members of the community through this crisis, this donation will help BGCLK bolster its pantry.
Additionally, this donation will make it possible to offer prepped meals-to-go. The Center for Great Futures is staffed with a full-time chef who provides a hot dinner every evening to its members from sixth to 12th grade. However, this donation will make it possible to buy, prepare and package meals for all ages and all families who need them. Not just on Monday-Friday, but during weekends, as well.
“We want to make sure our kids still get to interact with us through virtual programming, of course,” Dittmer said. “But if they don’t have what they need from a nutritional standpoint, then we can’t begin to reach them from a programming level. Everyone in our community is feeling the devastating effects of this pandemic through loss of income or jobs being put on hold, and we want to help whole families as much as possible.”