Ben Barnes Chairman, Board of Directors “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost At some point during our childhood, we all stood at a proverbial crossroad and were forced to make a decision. In some cases, the decision of which path to take was obvious, in other cases the right choice was less apparent. But in almost every case, whether obvious or not, we were fortunate enough to have someone standing at those crossroads with us - a special “somebody” that took us by the scruff of the neck and pointed us in the right direction at that critical time when we needed it most. For many of Central Texas’ most at-risk youth, however, they must often stand at those crossroads alone. That is where the Boys & Girls Clubs comes into play. Every year at Clubs across the Austin area, over 9,000 “at-risk” youth between the ages of 6 and 18 walk through the doors of their local Club and are transformed into youth that are “at-promise.” Club youth have daily access to life-altering opportunities in such areas as academic support, educational enrichment, technology training, college and career exploration, the arts, character and leadership development and health and fitness. Through the Boys & Girls Clubs, youth are provided safe havens in which to spend their time as well as access to trained, professional staff with whom they can interact, form lasting bonds, and to whom they can look for example and guidance. Does the Boys & Girls Club philosophy of youth development work? Absolutely. In a recent Harris study poll, an amazing 57% of Club alumni said the Club actually saved their lives. Is the Boys & Girls Club a wise investment of your charitable contribution? Yes. The most recent independent audit conducted of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area indicated that 87¢ out of every dollar donated to your local Club goes directly to benefit youth in-need. I am proud to serve as Chairman for this outstanding organization and hope that this report will serve to inspire you to help our youth. They need folks like you now more than ever. Sincerely, Ben Barnes Chairman, Board of Directors [back to top]