Unshareable Stories

For over 120 years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for young people across the country. As Canada’s largest youth-serving charitable and community services organization, BGC Clubs open their doors to children and youth in over 600 locations.

During out-of-school hours, BGC staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help kids realize positive outcomes. Because of a Club, kids feel more confident, get along better with others and make better choices for themselves. Opportunity changes everything.

BGC Canada helps turn unshareable stories into shareable stories.

BGC alumni share how their lives were changed, for good.

Kowmitha S

Amanda H

Teresa S

KowmithaS

2021 Regional Youth of the Year, Former Club Kid

The Club gave me a chance to be my own person in the world."

Growing up, home wasn’t always a safe place for Kowmitha. Her BGC Club became an escape from the turmoil.

At her Club, Kowmitha was given the tools and resources to understand her situation. “My Club gave me a chance to dissociate from my past,” said Kowmitha. “It helped me be my own person in the world.”

And with support of Club staff, Kowmitha grew to have confidence and a strong voice. “My Club mentor was the first person at the Club to realize my ambitions and goals,” she said. “He pushed me to be my own person and become a leader. I don’t know if I would have been able to engage the way I do today without his help.”

In 2021, Kowmitha was recognized as BGC Canada’s Regional Youth of the Year and is still working with her Club and community today. Advocating for numerous issues impacting youth today, she has a positive outlook and a bright future. “Despite the challenges I faced, with the right support and opportunities, I was able overcome a lot,” said Kowmitha.

AmandaH

BGC Community Initiatives Manager, former Club kid

I had a safe space to navigate relationships, hone my leadership skills, and discover who I was.”

Growing up in a rough neighbourhood, Amanda shared her home with her parents and three siblings. A socially awkward child, she had trouble making new friends. She spent most of her time with her siblings.

Amanda’s Club journey began when she was 12. “My parents were resourceful in seeking out supports like my local BGC Club to provide me with enrichment experiences that I would not have had otherwise,” said Amanda.

Her Club gave her a safe and supportive space outside of her family. “I had a safe space to navigate relationships and hone my leadership skills,” she said. “It allowed me to be exposed to a variety of people with different viewpoints and perspectives and discover who I was.”

Twenty-five years later, Amanda is a Registered Social Worker, working for the Club she grew up in, providing children with the same experiences gifted to her all those years ago. She continues to advocate for the skills of leadership, growth and resiliency that she learned as a BGC Club kid.

TeresaS

Business owner, former Club kid

The most important thing to me was that at the Club, I knew I mattered."

A child of immigrant parents, Teresa had a lonely upbringing. She spent much of her time at home alone. While her parents worked hard to provide for her, she didn’t always get the love and support she needed. Until she started attending a Club.

“The Club made me feel like I belonged,” said Teresa. “I made friends, learned about myself and felt like the people at the Club cared about me.”

Club staff helped Teresa gain self-esteem and confidence, making sure she knew that she was capable of great things in her life. “The most important thing to me was that at the Club, I knew I mattered,” said Teresa. “A smile here or there goes a long way.”

Today Teresa runs the Italian Centre Shop, a chain grocery store chain in Alberta. She still uses the lessons she learned as a Club kid to help her lead a team of more than 650 people.

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Are you a BGC alumni? Did a BGC Club make an impact on your life?

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BGC Canada acknowledges that our work spans many Territories and Treaty areas and we are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are with us today, those who have gone before us and the youth that continuously inspire us in the work that we do. BGC Canada’s mission statement is to provide safe, supportive places where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships, and develop confidence and skills for life. We recognize that these values are impossible to attain without the ongoing guidance and partnership with Indigenous peoples.

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