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Courtesy Robert Eads,

National Day of Advocacy DC Fly-In lays out Legislative Priorities

Laredo, Texas – Boys & Girls Clubs of Laredo Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, Robert A. Eads and Kevin Lopez, Assistant Executive Director will join hundreds of Boys & Girls Clubs from across the country for National Days of Advocacy in Washington, D.C. Clubs. Leaders will meet with members of Congress, to include U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, to advocate for the critical needs of kids and teens in America and to show the unique role Clubs serve in their communities.

The event will take place February 27th thru March 1st.

National Days of Advocacy allows Boys and Girls Clubs leaders, members, volunteer leadership, and alumni to meet with members of Congress and key staff to share their stories, discuss the critical issues currently facing youth, and share the inspirational ways Clubs are motivate America’s young people. As part of the event, Club advocates are provided training, opportunities, and exposure designed to hone their advocacy expertise year-round.

“Clubs like ours have a unique role as community leaders in providing valuable afterschool programs to our country’s youth that enable them to achieve great futures,” said Andrew L. Carranco, President of Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo. “We are confident that our Laredo Club’s management team, led by Robert and Kevin, will represent our organization extremely well. They will help raise the visibility of the needs of our Laredo community youth. With our national partners and our local presence on Capitol Hill, we will show what the Laredo Clubs can accomplish with the support of our elected officials and our community in D.C.”

Boys & Girls Clubs offer a fun, safe place where kids can go afterschool to grow beyond the classroom. Club programs range from education, the arts, and sports to leadership and service. The Clubs help young people prepare for college or career. We also know that investment in afterschool opportunities creates impact in local communities, especially for working families that rely on Boys & Girls Clubs to be employed full-time. Boys & Girls Clubs drive measurable results for our nation’s youth:

Parent satisfaction of out-of-school time programs is at an all-time high of 94%.
95% of Club teens 9-12 grade said they feel like they have the skills needed to be successful in a job while 57% said they have had work experience in the last 12 months.

Every $1 invested in a Boys & Girls Clubs returns $9.60 in current and future earnings and cost-savings to their communities. In Webb County, Texas, 30% of children under the age of 18 live below the poverty line.

Our memberships are offered at $10.00 per year to all children, and because of the open-door policy all children are always accepted to take part in our programs.

Boys and Girls Club of Laredo employees and volunteers focus daily on being the best mentors and role models that they can be. The children that we serve know that they have a safe place where they can interact with their friends and grow. The Clubs also have guest speakers who can share life experiences with the children and remind them of the importance of staying on the right path. Most of the children who participate in the activities do not have role models in their home lives who can serve in a mentoring capacity and offer guidance and advice.

The Boys and Girls Club of Laredo currently operate three facilities in the Laredo, Texas area: The Benavides Club on Moctezuma Street, the Northwest Club on Santa Maria Avenue, and the Lamar Bruni Vergara Club on Los Presidentes Drive.

“Boys & Girls Clubs champion opportunities for all youth, equipping young people with the experiences and tools they need to succeed,” said CEO/Executive Director Robert A. Eads. “Our advocacy isn’t just a one-day event. We are raising our voices every single day, to ensure top issues and solutions impacting young people Laredo and Webb County are prioritized in our community, our state, and at the national level.”