Letter to the Editor (Lancaster Online, September 11, 2022)
Our youth are in crisis and kids urgently need us. But who is willing to serve? We are at the beginning of an emerging crisis, and I believe it is going to get worse before it gets better. Teachers, social workers and youth-serving professionals have been carrying the social-emotional brunt of COVID-19’s impact on our kids for over two years. They are exhausted — and there’s no end in sight.
It’s time for the strongest among us to step up and be there for our kids. Show you care enough to teach them how to dribble a basketball or throw a football, color with them, play cards or just listen. Lend us your hearts and your hands to ensure kids are surrounded by adults who care about them and believe in them.
Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster, and other youth organizations, need adults in our community to be there for kids after school. Your role as a full- or part-time employee, volunteer or coach will change their lives forever. We can’t let the kids down. Not now. Not when they need us the most.
Here at the Club, we are well-positioned to serve children in our community, but we need you! We need you to join our team to keep doors open for kids who need a safe, positive place after school. If we don’t collectively add more people to the broader youth-serving system, we will burn out these irreplaceable, amazing individuals. We can’t afford to lose any more time.
Karen Schloer, CEO
Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster