Our Kids
- 85% of our kids come from single parent families
- 90% of members have two or more brothers and sisters.
- 47% of our members are girls, 53% are boys.
- 91% are African American, 7% Hispanic, 1% White and 1% other nationalities
The children we serve live in the most economically depressed areas within Shelby County. About 90% of our members reside in high poverty, high crime neighborhoods in the 38106, 38107, 38108, 38109, 38114, 38118, 38122, 38126, 38127, 38128, 38134, and 38141 zip codes. The vast majority of the youth (over 90 percent) are from working class families who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. (The federal poverty threshold changes annually and varies by family size. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the threshold for a family of three with one child is about $24,860.) Many of these young people live in public housing properties managed by the Shelby County Housing Authority. The schools in these areas struggle to address the basic educational needs of youth within the school day. Parents, the School Board of Shelby County, Memphis Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department regularly make referrals to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis.