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Halloween Party for First Light
To kick off their year of service, the entire Youth Action Council worked together and organized a Halloween party for First Light Women's Shelter. The students organized food, decorations, and activities to bring some entertainment and joy to the ladies staying at the shelter. Activities included pumpkin painting, friendship bracelets, nail painting, and various games, such as Go Fish and Connect Four. |
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Clean River Action Group
This spring, a group of YAC students decided they were passionate about environmentalism, especially the rivers and waterways. To do their part, they organized a river clean up with Cahaba Riverkeeper. They raised awareness by promoting the event, and around 25 students came out that day to pick up trash and clear invasive species. They collected a total of 185.5 pounds of trash! |
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Road Safety Action Group
This spring, a group of YAC students decided they wanted to emphasize safe driving. They were encouraged by the upcoming prom season and wanted to make sure their peers were informed. The students connected with TRIP Lab to host a Road Safety workshop in May. Students that came learned about the barriers to safe driving and got to experience a simulated version of distracted driving. |
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Homelessness Action Group
These students worked hard to educate themselves on the needs of people who are experiencing homelessness in Birmingham. They partnered with One Roof and YouthServe to lead discussion groups in our 10th Annual Cardboard Connect event. This is an experience where youth pack hygiene kits, experience simulated homelessness, and hear from community members who serve youth in homelessness everyday. The students did not stop there; after Cardboard Connect, they organized their own donation drive to benefit the First Light Women’s Shelter. They were able to collect 177 items to donate. |
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Health Action Group
The Health Action council connected with UAB to promote their Live HealthSmart Mobile vans that travel across the Birmingham Metro Area to provide free health screenings and fresh affordable produce to residents in food deserts and low-income communities. The students canvased in 5 different communities around Birmingham over two weeks and even recruited some of their friends to help! This project also started a conversation between YouthServe and Live HealthSmart about a potential recurring service opportunity for youth. |
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LGBTQ Action Group
From the beginning of the program year these students knew they wanted to create a space for Birmingham’s LGBTQ youth and allies to come together in community. So that is exactly what they did! In partnership with the Magic City Acceptance Center, this group hosted the Birmingham Gender and Sexuality Alliance Summit this spring. They had a total of 30 participants and a surprise appearance from Mayor Woodfin to kick off the event with an icebreaker. Participants also heard from Neil Rafferty, Alabama House Representative, and Josh Coleman, liaison of LGBTQ affairs for the city of Birmingham. |
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Animal Welfare Action Group
These students took advantage of every opportunity they could to support Birmingham’s furry friends. They volunteered with PetSmart, and partnered with Two by Two Rescue to volunteer at Barktoberfest last fall AND hosted Smooch-a-pooch this spring! Smooch-a-pooch was an adoption event/donation drive to benefit Two by Two Rescue. The students made 30 dog toys and raised $395 for Two By Two. |
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Low-Income Community Action Group
These students spent time exploring the root causes of poverty and the challenges facing those who are experiencing it on the community level. In an effort to educate themselves, the youth met with Anthony Hood, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at First Horizon Bank. With Mr. Hood, the students learned about the barriers to escaping poverty. Next, the students partnered with Woodlawn United’s Team Up to Clean up crew to contribute to a more beautiful Woodlawn. They recruited a total of 15 participants and gathered over 15 bags of trash from the streets. |
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Racial Awareness Action Group
These students were determined to advocate for themselves and their peers. They focused on raising awareness of the barriers to college admissions through a panel discussion hosted over Zoom. They had 5 panelists, including two BCS alumni and current college students, as well as professionals who have worked closely with the college admissions process. They were able to connect 60 people to this conversation, and you can watch it here! |
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Mental Health Action Group
Mental health is always a popular topic among youth, and for good reason. It seems that in the wake of the pandemic and in light of the mass shooting epidemic, we are all recognizing the need for better mental health support for youth and the community as a whole. These students wanted to maximize their impact and decided to host a donation drive for comfort items and fidget toys. With the help of their schools, churches, and the Birmingham School of Law, they collected 500 fidget toys, as well as other items! These items were then sorted into care packages for Children’s Hospital of Alabama. |