I'm A BGCA Back to School Ambassador! #Sponsored

***Disclosure: 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.”***

It's that time of year again! Summer will soon be drawing to a close, and kids everywhere will be heading back to school. My oldest child will be in 8th grade this year, and he is looking forward to being at the head of the pack, as far as middle school goes. (Until 9th grade, where he will again, be on the bottom as a freshman!)

Thankfully, I am able to be home with my children every day. Working from home certainly has it's perks! But there are a lot of kids who don't have that luxury. In this uncertain economy, parents are working more and more hours to support their families, leaving their kids to fend for themselves as "latch key kids."

I remember being one myself as a kid, as my parents both worked outside of the home. For a few hours every day, I had to care for myself and my little brother until Mom or Dad got home. Nothing bad ever happened, thank goodness. I lived in a very safe, community oriented town where violent crime was almost unheard of. Sadly, not all kids are as lucky. There are many cities that have a lot of crime and gang activity, and parents who need to work are justifiably worried about sending their kids home from school alone.

Luckily, Boys & Girls Club of America has some great options to keep kids of all ages off of the streets while giving them the supervision and guidance they need. These programs offer kids things like homework help, structured, character-building activities, and give children the tools they need to succeed.

How You Can Help the BGCA :

Helping the BGCA and their initiatives is easy. This year, they have partnered with jcpenney for the ‘jcpenney cares round up campaign.’ In the month of July, if you round-up your purchase to the nearest whole dollar while shopping at jcpenney, you can help make a difference in supporting afterschool programs at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. 100% of donations raised will go towards BGCA.

How cool is that?! So be sure to round up to the nearest dollar when shopping at jcpenney and help give kids in need a brighter future!

Learn More About the BGCA and jcpenney "round up" campaign :

For more information on the BGCA and jcpenney ‘round up campaign’ – please click here: www.greatfutures.org/backtoschool

Have you every heard of the Boys & Girls Club of America? Maybe there's a chapter in your town! I'd love to hear your experiences!