Oceanside, CA (October 2021) – Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) received a $30,000 grant from Panda Cares, the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group. This grant assisted BGCO in supporting the academic success of Club youth who had been significantly impacted by school closures. Through this partnership, Panda Cares and BGCO will empower thousands of youth at Boys & Girls Clubs in Oceanside to excel in school, character and leadership.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, BGCO has worked to ensure that youth have the academic resources they need to succeed. Panda Cares support has aided BGCO in their efforts to help our youth get back on track academically, socially, emotionally and physically. After a year-long interruption in their education caused by the pandemic, it is critical that youth have the assistance they need to offset any further learning loss.
“We are tremendously grateful for Panda Cares’ support,” said Jodi Diamond, CEO. “This funding ensured that our youth had the best possible support and learning tools to continue their academic progress over the summer and into this school year.”
“Panda’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) furthers our commitment to impact and inspire a brighter future through health and education, creating powerful learning pathways and focused care for the holistic well-being of youth nationwide,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. “This donation brings us one step closer to achieving our long-term vision of building strong communities and fostering the growth of our young leaders.”
The national partnership will build on Panda Cares mission to support children and families in underserved communities under the pillars of health and education. With a mutual commitment to helping more youth reach their full academic potential through learning initiatives that are responsive to the unique needs of each young learner, Panda Cares monetary donation to local Boys & Girls Clubs will ensure more than 500 Boys & Girls Clubs will receive funding to provide high-quality in-person and virtual learning opportunities. The donation will also help pilot Panda Cares Centers of Hope, dedicated areas at BGCA that foster equity by delivering high-quality Club experiences that fuel the holistic needs of learning.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside please contact Jodi Diamond at JDiamond@bgcoceanside.org or call (760) 433-8920, and visit our website BGCOceanside.org or Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BGCOside.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO), celebrating 70 years of building great futures in Oceanside, is a youth development organization that is dedicated to providing a safe, fun and enriching environment for youth during non-school hours.
From May 2020 through August 2021, BGCO’s Emergency Food Program provided more than 55,000 free and nutritious meals to youth under 18 regardless of membership status.
BGCO is a local, nonprofit organization affiliated with Boys & Girls Clubs of America but raises 100% of the funds that support its life-changing programs through individual giving, events and grants. For 70 years, BGCO has continued to uphold its mission to inspire, develop and enrich young people to reach their fullest potential as confident, responsible, caring members of society.
About Panda Express
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp™, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine.
Each dish at Panda Express, including the Wok Smart® selections, is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,200 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to twelve international countries.
Powered by this global family of associates, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has raised more than $237 million and dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 12 million youths, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2020, the organization established the Panda Cares Scholars Program to provide the necessary funding, academic support and leadership development to help high school and college students learn, lead and thrive towards a bright future. For more information, visit pandaexpress.com or pandacares.org.
