The B.L.O.C.K. Youth and Teen Center Lead #LikeAGirl and Transpire Nights programs recently received a $15,000 donation from Masco Corp., a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of branded home improvement and building products.
Lead #LikeAGirl is an award-winning program that serves a diverse group of young women between the ages of 11-15 and is designed to change the way that these participants think about what it means to Lead #LikeAGirl. Developed in 2016 by The B.L.O.C.K. Youth & Teen Center, this 9-month program enables participants to challenge themselves through workshops, activities, and conversations that are centered around self-esteem, healthy living and relationships, women in the media, service learning, women who wow and more. Participants who complete the 9-month commitment graduate from the program in front of family and friends, celebrating their new understanding of what it really means to Lead #LikeAGirl.
Transpire Nights which takes place at The B.L.O.C.K. Youth and Teen Center monthly, provides support, education, and advocacy for area LBGTQ+ students, who can engage in discussions, plan activities, and build community with their peers. The Transpire program has been available to teens since 2020, in partnership with Plymouth-Canton PFLAG (Parents, Friends, Family) and Allies United with LGBTQ individuals. Workshops covering a variety of topics such as: LGBTQ 101, inclusive schools, overcoming adversity are led by a certified professional and are followed by a variety of social opportunities.
The Masco donation will include $10,000 directed to the Lead #LikeAGirl program and $5,000 earmarked for the Transpire Nights program.
“We are so grateful to receive this support for two of our very popular programs at The B.L.O.C.K. Youth & Teen Center,” said Recreation Supervisor Laura Mortier. “These contributions have the potential to have a major impact on numerous participants in our Lead #LikeAGirl and Transpire Nights programs and on behalf of all our staff, I sincerely want to thank Masco for its continued generous support.”
Comprised of more than 20 companies, the Masco family operates nearly 60 manufacturing facilities in the United States and more than than 20 in other parts of the world.
“The grant is part of Masco's Million Differences campaign, an initiative in which Masco, through its business units, is allocating $1,000,000 of its philanthropic funding to support organizations across the country that are working to break down barriers to diversity and inclusion,” said Susan Sabo, MASCO director of Communications and Corporate Giving. “The B.L.O.C.K.'s Lead #LikeAGirl and Transpire Nights programs were nominated as the recipient of this donation because of the important opportunities they provide these young adults within our community.”
The B.L.O.C.K. Youth and Teen Center, located on the third floor of the Canton Administration Building at 1150 S. Canton Center Road in Canton. For more information about The B.L.O.C.K. Youth and Teen Center, visit www.cantonfun.org or call (734) 398-5570.
