August 2018 | 63
How long have you been involved
with Boys & Girls Clubs of the
Emerald Coast? How did you become
involved?
I have been with the Boys & Girls
Clubs of the Emerald Coast for over
six years and within the Boys & Girls
Clubs movement for over 15 years.
I began my career within the Boys &
Girls Clubs movement with the Tampa
Organization. My entire career has been
dedicated to the human services sector
but I committed myself to the Boys &
Girls Clubs mission several years ago
because of the impactful programs and
people that truly change young peoples’
lives on a daily basis. Throughout our
organization, State and Country Boys &
Girls Clubs are shaping young people
into being productive, caring, and
responsible citizens.
What are some ways that the
organization fundraises?
Community support is instrumental
in not only our success, but our sustainability, and will be for
generations to come. We work to be as creative as possible with
raising funds. Most of our funding comes from state and federal
grants, local foundations, business & corporate support, special
events, and individual giving. We host several events from local
Club level to organizational level, our premier annual event is our
Stake & Steak Dinner that always highlights a BGC Alumni as
a keynote speaker. In past years we have had Evander Holyfield,
Jackie Joyner Kersee, and Rudy. We will be announcing our
speaker for this year’s event shortly, stay tuned!
What impact has Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast had
on the community in the last year? How many youth have
been served?
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast is celebrating it’s 50th
year anniversary in providing youth development in Northwest
Florida. In my time here we have grown immensely, not in the
fact of opening new Clubs but serving more kids at our Clubs. I
am very proud of the outcome driven experiences that members
are having at our Clubs. In the last year we have served 3,944
youth within our three county scope of service.
A few other great stats:
• Our organizational overall GPA is 3.04
• 99.7% of our youth progressed on time to
.........
their next grade level
• On average 361 youth maintain honor roll
.........
on a quarterly basis at school
• Club members served over 11,000
.........
xxxx.
combined Club and Community service
.........
hours
• 110,780+ healthy after school snacks were
.........
served
What is the most rewarding part of your
involvement with the organization?
There are so many rewarding aspects of my
role, but by far I still love seeing our young
people progress, graduate from high school,
become leaders in their communities, and
eventually make their own impact on others.
Are there any upcoming events?
All of our Clubs are continuously hosting
events. Our annual Day for Kids event, for
example, is scheduled for September 29. Day
for Kids is a national celebration of the life
changing work happening at Boys & Girls Clubs across the
nation. It is open to the public and will be a fun-filled day for
families. We will also soon be announcing details for our 5th
annual Stake & Steak Dinner.
What is one thing you want readers to know about Boys &
Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast?
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast is a youth
development organization that is mission and outcome driven.
We strive to ensure that all of our members achieve academic
success, live healthy lifestyles and lead their lives as moral and
responsible citizens of their communities.
How can someone become involved or help with Boys & Girls
Clubs of the Emerald Coast?
We are always looking for supportive and caring adults to work
with our members and be supporters of our mission. Anyone
interested can apply online through our website BGCEC.com or
email me anytime at srassa@bgcec.com.
Interview with Shervin Rassa, CEO
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast
mission STATEMENT:
“To enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to reach
their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.”
62-63 GiveCareShare - Boys & Girls Club.indd 2
7/25/18 3:48 PM