Note: Brittaney Rea is a member of the NCCF team as a grants and scholarship specialist and is volunteering with a fundraising campaign for the Boys & Girls Club of Wake County. We don't post other nonprofits' annual campaign messages on our site, but her story is so compelling that we wanted to share it. The power of story indeed.
Talk to any Club alumni and you’ll always hear the story of their first encounter with the Boys & Girls Clubs. Talk to them a little longer and you’ll hear how that encounter molded their childhoods and their lives.
Here’s my story. We had just moved down from New York, and my parents had just gone through a tough divorce and custody battle. My family was in shambles, and I was all alone at the age of six. To put it politely, I grew up in less than desirable circumstances. To put it bluntly, we were poor. But one day my mother found the Wake Forest Boys & Girls Club, and my luck changed.
The Club became my home, my safe haven, my place to be a kid. The Club was where the worries and troubles of my home life couldn’t affect me. I was exposed to wonderful opportunities and strong influential adults that expected the best from me. I can never say enough wonderful things about the Club staff I have grown up with; these remarkable individuals are the reason I’m where I am today.
When I was a shy new Club member, they gave me the courage to try new things. When I was hungry, they made sure I had enough to eat. When I needed help in school, they made sure I had every resource I could ever need. When I applied to college, they made sure I was prepared (even down to buying me my very first vacuum). And when I left for NC State, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about my little brother because the Club was there and he was starting his journey as a new member.
Now I work for a statewide foundation trying every day to be the very best, just as my Club “parents” Jessica Bullock and Hugh McLean expect. I can never thank them enough for what they and the Boys & Girls Clubs have given and continue to give to me and so many more children across Wake County.
Did you know going to the Club costs $7.50 per year for a member? That $7.50 changed my life.
Will you help change some lives? Today, there are thousands of children and teens receiving life-changing, often life-saving support at the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Please join me in supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs by making a donation today. Money raised through the Annual Campaign goes directly to support the programs and services that the Boys & Girls Clubs provide for more than 4,700 kids most in need right here in Wake County.
Join my team and let kids most in need in our community know that you care. I know for a fact that the Boys and Girls Clubs make a difference in the lives of children and teens. I also believe that one person can make a difference and I hope you’ll consider helping with a small gift of any amount.
Warm Regards,
Brittaney Rea
Boys & Girls Club Alumna
Visit this page on the Boys & Girls campaign site if you want to make a gift. All contributions up to $10,000 will be matched through the end of June.