Boys & Girls Clubs of America and “The Chi” Star Jacob Latimore Team up to Host Mental Health Panel for Atlanta Youth
02 July 2024 - 3:33AM
Business Wire
Boys & Girls Clubs of America, in collaboration with Kohl’s,
hosted a mental health panel and discussion about challenges young
people face, featuring actor, musician and dancer Jacob Latimore
and youth from Atlanta-area Boys & Girls Clubs. The event on
June 29 culminated National Boys & Girls Club Week celebrations
and provided a platform for young people to engage in open,
authentic conversations about mental health challenges and
successes experienced within different communities.
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London Reeves, Sr. Director of Teen
Strategy Execution at Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Rachel
Kalukango-Harris, Director of Trauma Informed Practice at Boys
& Girls Clubs of America; Jada Rogers, Site Director at
At-Promise Southwest Boys & Girls Club; Ariana K, Youth of the
Year from James T. Anderson Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta; and
Willow R, the 2022 Southwest Youth of the Year and BGCA intern join
Jacob Latimore, actor from the hit SHOWTIME series "The Chi" for an
authentic conversation about mental health in partnership with Boys
& Girls Clubs of America and Kohl's. (Photo: Todd Kirkland/Boys
& Girls Clubs of America)
The mental health panel, which was live streamed and is
available on Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s YouTube channel,
gave attendees the opportunity to meet and talk with local teens
about the importance of wellness, while learning from the
critically acclaimed actor of “The Chi” about his own experiences
and passion for mental health awareness.
“Everyone has mental health — what Boys & Girls Clubs of
America and Kohl’s are doing to foster discussions on mental health
within communities is truly admirable,” Latimore says. “Boys &
Girls Clubs of America’s goal to create a safe and intimate
environment where young people can openly and honestly discuss
their feelings about the issues they’re facing represents a
paradigm shift in our culture. With everything going on in the
world, it’s easy for young people to feel overwhelmed. If they’re
feeling anxious, stuck, alone, depressed or just lost, they should
know there are people here to help them move forward.”
Kohl's, a longtime partner of Boys & Girls Clubs of America,
has played a pivotal role in providing support for trauma-informed
training and facilitating open discussions about mental health
among teens around the country. With a focus on positive social and
emotional development, Kohl's is working with Boys & Girls
Clubs of America to ensure Club staff have the resources, training
and tools they need to help this generation reach their full
potential.
“We know it's important for kids and teens to know they’re not
alone in feeling their emotions,” said Kate Endries, National
Director of Trauma Informed Practice at Boys & Girls Clubs of
America. “Together, we can normalize talking about mental health
and help young people navigate their emotions in healthy, lasting
ways.”
"Mental health is an important issue for us all and a
cornerstone of Kohl’s philanthropic work, including through our
partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” said Tara
Geiter, Kohl’s director of community relations. “We're proud to
support events like this to help provide more resources to youth
nationwide and raise awareness for the challenges kids are facing
today."
The impact of this mental health discussion panel offers a
platform for open dialogue, reducing stigma and encouraging kids
and teens to share their experiences and learn from mental health
professionals. Ultimately, these discussions foster a culture of
empathy and understanding with the goal of empowering our youth
with the knowledge and tools to manage their mental well-being
effectively.
For more information on the partnership between Boys & Girls
Clubs of America and Kohl’s please visit BGCA.org.
About Boys & Girls Club Week
Celebrated since 1941, National Boys & Girls Club Week
recognizes the invaluable service Clubs bring to communities,
sharing how great futures start at Boys & Girls Clubs. National
Boys & Girls Club Week, June 24-28, 2024, promotes the fact
that while Clubs operate on a local community level, they are also
part of a growing national footprint, and together we do whatever
it takes to build great futures for America’s youth.
Boys & Girls Club Week is a time to celebrate our Clubs and
Boys & Girls Clubs of America as an organization that does
whatever it takes to provide children and youth with a safe place,
caring mentors, and life enhancing programs.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to
learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and
friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily
basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs
programming promotes academic success, good character and
leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,400 Clubs serve more
than 3 million young people through Club membership and community
outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on
Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in
BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations
worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn
more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and
X.
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Eliza Lynch ELynch@bgca.org, 203-522-7010