Giving back to kids and the community

John Killings’ mother taught him to be grateful for what he has.

She instilled in John and his twin brother the value of sharing their abundance with folks in their Mount Pleasant neighborhood that weren’t as fortunate. They would give clothes and shoes to kids that didn’t have them. And she didn’t just send her sons to the Club – she donated resources and volunteered as a chaperone.

So it is not surprising that when John, now 30, realized how much he had benefited from the Club experience, he became a mentor for some of the kids who are following in his footsteps.

“I’m not a celebrity. I am someone who looks like them and someone who has been where they are now,” says John, who is the associate director of multicultural leadership and programming at Case Western Reserve University and a member of BGCC’s Bridge Board, a young professionals group. “I can give back by giving my time to these kids, and that is important.”

He says spending virtually every day at the Club from ages 6-18 changed his life. “I learned the value of hard work, dedication and encouragement,” he says. “I learned the value of going after your dreams.”