Dear Friends,
It is my honor to update you on the activities of Boys & Girls Aid this past fiscal year (2007-2008), and I am grateful at the opportunity to thank the generous individuals, families, and businesses that have made our work possible through the publication of our Annual Report.
It is an unusual time to reflect on the recent past, as each of us looks anxiously to the future – to an economy in distress, to politics in transition, and to a growing number of children in need of our help. But as I try to answer the question of what lies in the days ahead, I find the past is my best barometer.
As you can see in our Annual Report, fiscal year 2007-2008 brought us many successes. Newly awarded government contracts will allow us to serve 400 additional children this coming year. Two newly purchased shelter facilities extended our reach in the community. Adoption services expanded with clinicians now located across the state and in Washington.
The values that made these accomplishments possible are the same as those set forth by Boys & Girls Aid founders. Values like “always do what is best for the child,” and “spend wisely,” have steered us well for more than 120 years. I believe that if we continue to use these values as a point of guidance we will affect the greatest impact on the lives of children in need.
With gratitude,
Michael H. Balter
Boys & Girls Aid Executive Director