Southeastern NC Boys & Girls Clubs receive $44K for teen career readiness program
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina has received more than $44,000 to support a program aimed at preparing local teenagers for careers after high school.
The organization announced Wednesday that it received a $44,210 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation.
The funding will support the club’s Life & Workforce Readiness Program, which provides teenagers with career exploration, job skills training and work-based learning opportunities.
Participants can take part in job shadowing, internships and project-based learning while developing employability and technical skills.
“This grant allows us to reach more students with the tools and guidance they need to build a successful future,” CEO Dawn-Michele Blalock said. “We’re grateful to the Taco Bell Foundation and our local Taco Bells for believing in our mission and investing in the potential of our youth.”
This is the fourth year Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina has been selected to receive a Community Grant from the foundation.
The Taco Bell Foundation is awarding $32 million in Community Grants to 700 nonprofit organizations nationwide in 2026. The grants are funded in part through customers who round up their order totals.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina says it provided after-school and summer programs to more than 3,000 young people across Brunswick, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties in 2026.
