You Give Single Dad Jamaal and His Son Jaxston a Second Family at the Boys & Girls Club — Thank You!
“My life has been unnecessarily rough,” says single father Jamaal. “My parents split when I was [my son] Jaxston’s age. My dad raised us, and I am the youngest of four kids. We struggled so much growing up—not having enough food, lights being off, not having any clothes. It was like that for my entire life until I reached my early twenties and was able to break the cycle. I felt like I had everything stacked against me.”
“I am the way that I am now because of how hard things were growing up. I am trying to turn it around,” Jamaal says.
“When Jaxston was born, it was in the midst of turmoil. One thing I learned is that wonderful things can come at the most frustrating times.”
Jaxston was living with his mom when Jamaal noticed things starting to spiral. Jamaal was paying child support, but it didn’t seem like Jaxston was getting what he needed. His clothes and shoes were beat up, and Jaxston was missing school.
“DCS finally got involved,” Jamaal says. When the state ran some drug tests and realized how bad the situation was, they instantly took the kids out of the house they were in.
“Without warning, they called me and told me to come get Jaxston. I immediately became a full-time dad. It was early December, and Christmas was right around the corner. At the same time I was in the process of changing jobs to start working for FedEx. My whole life changed, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. ”
With your support, our Club staff members immediately jumped in to help the family.
“One of the smartest decisions I made was coming to the Club,” Jamaal says. “They listened to me as if I was family and instantly jumped into action. Everyone was so kind and understanding. They helped with everything I needed.”
“Boys & Girls Club is a huge life-saver.”
You give Jamaal a safe place to send his son while he is working to provide for his family. Jamaal has two jobs, working for FedEx and running his own car-detailing business.
“I work all the time, and now I know that my son is at the Club and getting structure. He is looked after and it’s just like taking him over to my grandmamma’s house. I love that.”
Thanks to you, Jamaal doesn’t have to stress or worry about where his son will go after school.
Jamaal shares his passion for car-detailing with his son. “I take him out there with me so he can scrape his knuckles, sweat, and get tired. A lot of young boys around Jaxston’s age don’t get to spend a lot of time doing things with their dads.”
Jamaal hopes that his son is getting the love and attention he needs from the time they spend together.
Jaxston rarely gets to see his mom any more, and he cries because he misses her. “He’s hurt. He just wants attention from her,” Jamaal says.
Because of you, Jaxston is building supportive relationships with caring adults at the Club.
“The Club is consistent. They are there when I need them.”
Since Jaxston started living with his dad and began attending the Club, his teachers and principals have praised the change in his behavior and how much better he is doing in school. He is more focused now.
“Jaxston is a very outgoing kid. He loves singing and participating in the Wayne Street Choir.”
The Club has also helped with Jaxston’s temperament. His personality was starting to mirror the chaotic environment—filled with yelling and fighting — that he was living in before his dad got custody.
“A lot of kids in our community don’t have anything to look up to or forward to. They need structure and they need somewhere free from stress. Every kid deserves to be themselves and to be carefree.”
Thanks to you, this is what Jamaal believes the Club offers to kids.
“Kids get fed at the Club, go on field trips, and get introduced to things they may never see in their neighborhoods or at home.”
“When you support the Club, you support kids and kids are our future. You are making our future stronger.”
Jamaal’s message to you, our dedicated donors: “Thank you. Your blessings go far beyond what you think. To give someone something without them asking for it is probably the most precious thing out there.”