2024-2025 Youth Action Council Service Projects

It's hard to believe the school year has come to a close! We are so proud of our Youth Action Council (YAC), who wrapped up their service projects just in time for summer. Check out the impactful projects they worked on this year:

Halloween Party for First Light Women's Shelter
To kick off their year of service, the Youth Action Council organized a Halloween party for First Light Women’s Shelter. They organized food, decorations, and activities to bring some entertainment and joy to the ladies and children staying at the shelter. Activities included pumpkin painting, and a delicious lunch of lasagna, salad, and Halloween cookies.

Introductory ASL Workshop
A returning YAC member recently discovered a passion for American Sign Language (ASL). To share this passion and bring awareness to the deaf community, she organized a workshop for her fellow YAC members, bringing in an expert from the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind to share her story as a deaf person, professional, and mother. Along with learning about what it is like to experience deafness, students also learned signs for simple expressions and phrases that they can practice in their everyday life. This event served to bridge the cultural gap between the deaf and hearing community.

Community Garden Service Events
Many students were curious about food insecurity in our community this year, and they wasted no time connecting to local solutions. Thanks to the District 1 Love Your Block Initiative, they teamed up with Debbie Hamby, president of the Huffman Community Garden, and for three Saturdays they helped clear fence lines, turn compost, and fertilize new seedlings! Being a new garden, the youth were able to learn what it actually takes for an initiative like this come to life. They connected with other garden volunteers, learning about the people who will benefit from the garden, their passions, and hopes for the Huffman community!

Children’s Book Drive & Reading Event
This spring, a group of students were struck by the literacy crisis facing our community, and thus organized a Community Book Drive, during which they received over 1,000 donated books! They then hosted a fun giveaway event and read-along session for kids ages 5-10 in the community. In organizing this event, these youth leaders created an inspiring space where families could pick out free books and experience the joy of reading.

Clothing Drive & Upcycling Workshop
Students this year were interested in making sure that all young people, regardless of circumstance, feel confident in their clothing. Using sustainable methods to accomplish this goal, students hosted a clothing drive where they received close to 60lbs of clothing. The  donated items will soon be given to Project Hope, a local youth homelessness ministry. Additionally, they decided to host an upcycling workshop alongside local fashion designer, Julie Maeseele. Participants at the workshop learned how to mend and adjust their clothing to better fit their needs and personal expression.

Way to go, Youth Action Council! We can't wait to see what these young changemakers will continue to do in the future.

Interested in getting involved and making a difference next school year? 2025-2026 Youth Action Council applications will open the first week of June! Once the application is live, you can find it here. If you have any questions about YAC or these projects, please reach out to [email protected].