The bracelets being sold at the Boys and Girls Club for $1.00 to raise money to purchase caps and gowns for homeless teens. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – Statistically, homeless teens do not participate in their high school graduation ceremony because they cannot afford to purchase the necessary cap and gown. The Keystone Club at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield believe these teens have worked just as hard as their peers, and deserve to walk alongside them to receive their diplomas.
To help remedy this problem, Keystone Club is selling bracelets for $1.00. Bracelets read “Hope for the Homeless”, and can be purchased at the Club’s facility anytime during opening hours. All proceeds raised by Keystone will go directly towards purchasing caps and gowns for homeless teens in the Westfield public schools. By purchasing a bracelet you will be helping a local homeless teen meet their graduation goals.
Keystone is a community service and leadership group for teens at the Boys and Girls Club and is a national organization within the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. This year, all Keystone groups will be participating in similar projects that provide hope for the homeless.
In addition to helping homeless teens, the Westfield chapter of Keystone hopes that this project will move them up to the gold level of Keystone. Reaching the gold level is the highest level a Keystone club can reach. Gold status will mean that these teens have done a national service project, have made a difference in the Club and in their community, and have changed the lives of those they have served. The Keystone teens have been working hard to receive this level of recognition.
Kelly, the Club’s Director of Operations and the Keystone advisor is so impressed with her teens. Kelly commented that, “The best thing I can say will come out of this is that teens are helping other teens, which is just unbelievable”.
Lina, the 16-year-old Keystone president wants to see all the members of our community support this cause by purchasing a bracelet. Lina stated that, “graduation and all the senior events are something that every teen should experience, and I can’t imagine not being able to participate in those activities because I didn’t have enough money – these are experiences that every teen works hard towards”
To learn more about the great work the Keystone Club does for our community, or to get your teen involved, please contact Director of Operations, Kellie Brown at 413.562.2301, or visit our website at www.bgcwestfield.org. Please stop in to the Boys and Girls Club today to purchase a bracelet for you and your friends. Every dollar will help in our efforts to help the teens of Westfield participate in their graduation ceremony.
Karissa St. Pierre is the Assistant Development and Marketing Director at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield
