By Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada
February 20, 2024
We love the success stories. We love to see and hear stories of the one kid who made it despite all odds. But I have bad news: the statistics tell us that kids don’t make it—at least, they don’t become success stories. Often, they can’t break the cycle of poverty in a generation.
I recently visited a BGC Club in a low-income neighbourhood. It got me thinking about the communities we serve across the country. So many communities and families have limited access to secure housing, childcare, nutritious food, and consistent meals.
The lowest decile of Canadians had an average after-tax income of $12,700 in 2021. Think about that—the AVERAGE household income was $12,700 per year. That same year, the low-income cut-off for a family of 3 in the largest cities across Canada was $34,555.
Here’s the problem—upward mobility is hard. Income inequity is growing. You often hear that the gap between rich and poor is growing. In 2021, the average income of the top 1% of earners in Canada rose by 9.4% to $579,100, and that of the bottom 50% of earners decreased to $21,100. The effect of that is hugely detrimental to low-income families trying to get a leg up. The tools they need to access to build a new life and prosper are increasingly out of reach.
Housing prices are up. Feeding your family costs more (have you paid for groceries lately?). Daycare, before- and after-school care, is exorbitantly priced in most provinces. How can you go to work when you need to be home for your kids? How can a family make $12,700/year and pay for rent, food, and clothes?
I looked at the kids in our Club in that after-school program. They were doing what kids do—some were snacking on yogurt, some were hard to settle down and listen to instructions—but they were typical kids. Happy, mostly. Unhappy when their friend accidentally poked them in the eye. Teasing each other. They looked comfortable – used to the routine of the Club. Engaged. And I wondered if there was a future engineer, future politician – maybe a mayor amongst them. Maybe a writer. A teacher, doctor, professor. A nurse, truck driver, app developer. An entrepreneur, a small business owner. A chef.
They don’t need to be astronauts, prime ministers, NHL superstars. In fact, the odds are they won’t be. And the odds are also against them for the more modest wish list too – that’s what is really scary. Temptations for fast riches that come with gangs, the need to drop out of school and work in menial jobs to pay the bills. Lack of opportunity. Beaten down until there’s no ambition. Seeing the challenges around them that seem insurmountable. Some will make it – they will be exceptions in the statistics.
Opportunity Changes Everything
Some good news: we live in a country with good social support. We enjoy better social support than many other developed countries. And we generally have better inter-generational mobility than other developed countries, too. This gives these kids a chance. And our Clubs boost their odds. Kids can see real opportunities in BGC Clubs—real-life examples of what’s possible—seeing options. Getting support to build skills they’ll need to make it to where they want to go—guiding them away from the choices that could distract or destroy them.
The Club staff were focused and frustrated trying to corral these kids into activities. But they were dedicated, and they cared, no matter what. They know each kid. These kids will be saved. They’ve got a safety net reaching out to them from the school, the Club, and our country’s fraying social safety net. It won’t be pretty, and it’s definitely not easy.
The good news is that 69% of BGC Club alumni claim that the Club saved their life.
The stories of BGC Clubs aren’t inspiring because we foster a few superstars – our Clubs are inspiring because they do the daily, hour-to-hour, week-to-week, year-to-year work that gives kids a chance to be something more than what they might see in front of them today. Because BGC shows them what could be on their horizon and how to get there. They can be a success story on their terms. Maybe we didn’t always go so far as saving their life, but we gave them the skills and opportunities to live a life.
Positive relationships. Life-changing programs. Meaningful impact.
Donate today to power positive impact for children and youth across Canada. Opportunity changes everything.
