Join the Boys & Girls Club & jcpenney For The 'jcpenney Cares Round Up Campaign' This July #sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

We love our Boys and Girls Club and have always been excited to tell our readers about their wonderful initiatives. Not too long ago we got to visit one of the busier clubs in Atlanta and the kids had such a great time. I am thankful for all they do in our communities and that's why I am so happy to be a BGCA Back To School Ambassador!

For the month of July, the Boys and Girls Club has partnered with one of our favorite stores, JCPenney, for the 'jcpenney cares round up campaign'! So, for all of July if you choose to round up your purchase total to the nearest dollar while shopping at jcpenney, that money will be given to BGCA! That's right! You can directly help the afterschool programs in clubs across the country by rounding up your purchase and they will receive 100% of all funds.

So, while shopping at jcpenney for back to school clothing like we did, just round up your purchase for an amazing cause. When we visited the Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta, we saw just how much that one club did for the children and their community. We've also seen how much they have changed the lives of children in our own county. This is such a great cause and we urge all of our readers to do this because even if your rounded up donation is $.25, that can definitely add up and make a difference.

Be sure to check out the Boys and Girls Club website for more Back To School information that is great for both students and parents. You can even share your child's picture on their first day of school for a chance to win. Josiah's first day of school is next week, so we'll definitely have pictures posted of him proudly dressed and ready for the big day beginning the first grade!!

We will be working with BGCA the rest of the month, too, and will have some other great info to share in a few weeks, so check back! Are your kids starting school soon? It's such an exciting time and I can't wait to share all of it with you.

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week With Us By Opening the Door & Taking the Tour April 7-13th

When we lived in Ellijay, the Boys & Girls Club was just down the street from us and we donated to them each year. They did so much for our community and children that I was so excited when invited to attend the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club Live Event with Mom Central! When I was a child, I remember doing trash pick-up on our local roads with the BGCA and I wanted to see what it was like these days. I was amazed at this wonderful facility, which was full of life and happiness. Some of the kids played sports in the gym with friends while others preferred playing pool or making arts and crafts. With hundreds of children there on a daily basis, the director, volunteers and workers definitely have their hands full!

Mom Central, bloggers & Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club director and workers.

After meeting some other local bloggers as well as some of my favorite Mom Central ladies, we had the opportunity to tour the entire facility. First we went into a reading room where things were a bit quieter. Children could read, do homework and have a quiet place to relax. Josiah did a riddle worksheet and had to guess the rhyming answers. He loved it so much that he made me bring it home to do again later. The teacher worked with him and helped him write his answers.

Then, we entered the art room, which was my favorite. Decorated from ceiling to floor, the art room was full of color, imagination and just plain fun.

I loved the ceiling tiles, each showing a different piece of artwork by the Boys & Girls Clubs members.

After going to the art room, we entered the activities area, a place where no quiet can be found. Instead, one can find laughter, fun and games! The room held several pool tables and was a popular hangout for the older kids. We took a moment to play a ball game with some of the other kids and my son, Josiah, had a blast. We bent over, guarding the area between our legs while others tried to get the ball through the space. The kicker? We can only use one hand when touching the ball. It's harder than you think, but was so much fun for all! Josiah was immediately asking if we could play that game at home.

The boys didn't want to leave... until they saw the huge playground outside. After our tour, all of the other bloggers, kids in tow, gravitated towards the playground for more playtime. I ended up going down the slide with Liam and running around like a little kid, too. We had such a great time that I was actually sad to leave. I can tell Brookhaven is an amazing resource for kids and community. This made me, more than ever, want to support our local Boys & Girls Clubs and I think you should, too!

With that said, April 7th through April 13th is National Boys & Girls Club, a week full of exciting events for kids and community members. Just as the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club opened their doors for us to visit, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta are launching the "75 Blue Doors" Project to help celebrate the 75th anniversary! This shows how local clubs are "opening doors" for youth in and around the Atlanta area. Check out the website for more information and look at all the Blue Door submissions for the contest! It ends on April 13th, so vote today!

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Be sure to find a Boys & Girls Club in your area by clicking here! Even if you can't take a physical tour like we did, you can take a virtual tour! Click on "Take the Tour", watch the video and you can also enter for a chance to win one of two $500 from Lowe's of JCPenney!

Did you go to a Boys & Girls Club when you were little or do your children go now? Do you support your local BGCA?

www.momcentralconsulting.com, at the bottom of your posts:

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for MomCentral Consulting on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I attended an information session and received a gift bag and promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Partner With Amway To Encourage Healthy Eating & Nutrition

As a parent, it is so important to teach children to help others and, for that reason, we do our part in the community here in the mountains. One of the organizations that does amazing things for our town is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I see what a difference they have made in the lives of children as well as in our community. There are many fun activities scheduled for children each month as well as fun ways to give back, such as picking up trash at our local park. BGCA has many different initiatives and projects going on at one time, all of which are noteworthy and important. Right now Boys & Girls Clubs of America is partnering with Amway to promote nutrition for Club members by supporting community gardens and more.

Through the POSITIVE SPROUTS® Program Amway is giving away $30,000 in Sustainability Grants to ten Boys & Girls Clubs who previously received community gardens from Amway. The funds given are to maintain the community gardens and to improve nutrition for Club members.

Amway is also donating 150 Garden In A Box Kits to Boys & Girls Clubs who demonstrate a want and need to establish a community gardening program! The kits include a variety of fruit, seeds and supplies needed to get the garden started and to start growing nutritious foods. In addition, Amway is providing POSITIVE SPROUTS® Curriculum  for 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide, which makes sure they have access to educational materials promoting healthy eating habits!

These are such great ways to help promote nutrition. What better way to learn than by planting your own community garden and eating the foods you have worked hard to grow. My kids and I plant a garden every spring and it's so rewarding when we finally get to eat the fruits and veggies. With Boys & Girls Clubs and Amway, many communities and children will not only learn about nutrition in a positive way, but also gain great experience! Click Here to learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Amway partnership.

Have your children participated in activities with Boys & Girls Clubs of America? Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!
 

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Amway. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

Boys and Girls Clubs of America Help With Back To School Needs

"Back To School" is obviously the theme for this month. Every time I talk to friends and family, that's the first thing they mention. Even before school began, we started planning. It takes a while to shift the focus and summer mindset, so we try to do so ahead of time.

There are many ways you can prepare children for back to school and I feel like we do them all!

Here are 5 ways we prepared for getting the kids back to school:

1. Get a good amount of sleep. Sleep is a must for health and to be ready for a new day. I can always tell when my kids haven't slept well because it greatly effects their overall attitude and ability to concentrate.
2. Take our daily vitamins. The kids take their gummy vitamins that also have an echinacea supplement to help fight off colds and other germs that are sure to be lurking around at school.
3. Eat well-balanced meals. It's important to get a good variety of meats, fruits and vegetables.

Josiah back at school!

4. Prepare throughout the summer. I know we should enjoy the summer, but do you know how much kids can forget over the summer if not prepped for the coming school year? I don't want my children forgetting important info, so we finds ways to incorporate education into summer fun!
5. Have all your back to school materials ready before school begins! Many schools have lists at participating stores, so you can pick up what you need. If not, talk to your child's teach to see what you should purchase. This way your child will start out ready to go!
Be sure to check out the BGCA website for more great back to school tips, including time management, setting goals and even tips for parents!

How do you prepare your kids for back to school?

Speaking of school supplies, some children just cannot afford the growing list of items needed to start the school year. That's why the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is partnering with Disney to launch the Tools For Back To School Initiative. This amazing program can be found online from August 1st until September 30th. You just go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America website to participate in the pop-quiz game for a great cause. For ever 5 correct answers, a donation of supplies will be made to a Boys & Girls Club member. It's such an easy way to do something great for kids across America, so click on the link and do it. We did and it took all of a minute for us to answer some questions and help a child get the school supplies they need. Up to 30,500 supplies (15,500 minimum) will be donated, so let's help them get the maximum amount of supplies possible!When I took the quick, they were at 20,830, so there are still quite a lot of school supplies to be donated!

Purchasing for a great cause!

In addition, Boys & Girls Clubs of America have partnered with jcpenney. In August, you can join jcp cares and round up your purchase at the register to help benefit BGCA! We actually went shopping there a few weeks ago and were asked to 'round up' the remaining $.30 left on the dollar of our purchase. It's such a small amount to donate, so it's not like we miss it, though it adds up when so many people also participate. You will not believe how much has been donate so far this month: $1,196,801!! So, go shop at jcpenney this month and be sure to round up.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Boys and Girls Club. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate."