The Auxiliary
The Auxiliary is the Board of Child Care’s volunteer corp. Since 1953, the women and men of the Auxiliary have enhanced the lives of the children served by the Board of Child Care, and helped educate the church community and others about BCC’s services.
All Auxiliary activities and fundraising directly benefit children. Over the years, the Auxiliary’s hard work has netted thousands of gifts and hundreds of outings for BCC’s children, as well as furniture, supplies and vehicles for the agency, leaving the children with lasting memories and raising the agency’s quality of care.
JOIN US
For just $2 a year, you can become an Auxiliary member. The experiences you gain in return will be priceless, including
- Impacting a Child’s Life
By volunteering for the Auxiliary, you make a direct, visible impact on a child’s life. While BCC meets children’s day-to-day needs, Auxiliary members serve as their extended family—the doting aunts, uncles and grandparents who provide extras at the holidays, on birthdays and during summer breaks.
Thanks to the Auxiliary, the children living at BCC receive birthday cards and gifts, cookies at the holidays, Easter baskets, afghans and graduation gifts. In the summer they attend Auxiliary-sponsored trips to parks, museums, dinner theaters and other local attractions. At Christmas, they shop for loved ones at the Auxiliary’s bargain Christmas store.
Families of children served by BCC receive Thanksgiving baskets, and families in the foster care programs attend annual Christmas parties sponsored by the Auxiliary. The Strawbridge School and DC Early Childhood Education Center also benefit from additional resources purchased through Auxiliary fundraising. - Advocating for a Good Cause
As an outreach ministry of the United Methodist Church, BCC must continually educate the church community about our services. The Auxiliary takes on much of this responsibility, allowing BCC staff to devote more time to serving children. Auxiliary members speak to congregations, attend fairs, handout fliers and recruit additional Auxiliary members. - Gaining Personal Fulfillment
More than 3,000 people are members of the Auxiliary. Opportunities abound for developing new friendships and putting skills to work, including leadership, organizational and fundraising skills.
THE AUXILIARY STRUCTURE
Auxiliary members represent churches throughout the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, although volunteers from all faiths are welcome to join.
The Auxiliary membership is divided into geographic districts within the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Within each church, Auxiliary “Key” persons serve as liaisons with BCC. An Auxiliary Executive Committee oversees the entire Auxiliary. Each Auxiliary district meets several times a year within its district, and the entire Auxiliary meets once a year at BCC’s Baltimore campus.
The Auxiliary is giving the community an opportunity to purchase brass plaques to honor people, groups or events. The plaques form the Tree of Life, permanently on display in the Board of Child Care’s Archive and Welcome Center.
All proceeds from the Tree of Life directly enrich the lives of BCC’s children by funding spiritual program items (such as choir robes), camping trips, college visits, prom costs and other needs.
For more information, read the Tree of Life brochure. To purchase a plaque, follow the order instructions on the brochure.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUXILIARY?
An Auxiliary Volunteer Coordinator is based at BCC’s administrative headquarters and can be reached at 410-922-2100, ext. 5473, or dgriffin@boardofchildcare.org.
