Hands on Birmingham volunteers (including me) set up
the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club for an event
on today’s MLK Day of Service. 

In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, I want to turn the spotlight on one of my favorite Birmingham nonprofit organizations …

I’ve worked with Hands on Birmingham for 7 years, though it has been some time since I last volunteered with the agency.

This nonprofit group pairs volunteers with service projects in the metro area. Saturday, I spent some time helping with setup at the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club in western Birmingham.

My debt to Hands on Birmingham is huge, having worked with their personnel on the Magic City Mission from 2006 to 2008. The United Way agency was instrumental in bringing together supplies and resources to aid the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.

I realized that I could do more to help people in my own back yard. Fortunately, Hands on Birmingham makes it easy to jump in.  The website offers service projects throughout the year, encouraging individuals, church groups, corporate departments and civic leagues to take an hour or a day to lend their assistance.

Volunteers can work on landscaping, office duties, emergency training and pet adoption. They can spend time with zoo animals. They can socialize with senior citizens. Then can bring support to homeless persons. They can spend time with schoolchildren.

This set of opportunities gives volunteers flexibility and variety. And it shows just how much help is needed in our community.

Hands on Birmingham not only works with numerous local agencies but also steps in during crises to deliver supplies, food, water and staffing for relief efforts. It mirrors the efforts of similar centers around the world as part of the Hands on Network.

The wide outreach makes it easier for those in need to connect with those who can help. I’m proud to lend a hand to a worthy organization.

• Hands on Birmingham website | Facebook | Twitter @HandsOnBham
  
• More Birmingham nonprofit organizations in the spotlight

Video: Hands on Birmingham holds
its 13th annual MLK Day of Service today.

Angela Blake

The Alabama Social Media Association holds educational lunches
throughout the year at the Hill Event Center at the Alabama
Theatre downtown.

In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, I want to turn the spotlight on one of my favorite Birmingham nonprofit organizations …

It was 1 year ago at this time that I was deep in the throes of creating a new nonprofit organization. Six weeks later, we launched.

The Alabama Social Media Association has been an exciting journey of planting seeds, asking for favors and bringing to life a sorely needed resource: social media education.

I’ve always known Birmingham to be a font of social media experts, people who offer great advice and think innovatively about how we share information in the 21st century. Why were these folks not getting more recognition?

Because this city has grown a thriving digital community, we needed to put the spotlight on it throughout the year. It has been home to great conferences, including this past weekend’s WordCamp Birmingham, and many user groups. But very little for those who don’t work in the industry to jump in and learn and discover.

In 2011, we put on five free educational events, offering networking, lunch and a speaker with a 45-minute presentation. We met a great cross-section of the community, from law enforcement, from churches, from nonprofit groups and utilities and banks and startups. And we had a lot of fun. In addition, ALsocme held social events nearly every month to expand our social circles.

Behind the scenes, it has been a never-ending list of funds to find, people to meet and tasks to do or delegate. I have found it is one thing to serve on a board for an established organization, but quite another to build everything from scratch.

The truly exciting part is doing it our way, redefining expectations and constantly striving to improve, so that we may reach more people and share the bounty of social media knowledge in our community.

If you want to find out more about the Alabama Social Media Association, visit the website and also sign up for the free email newsletter. And if you’d like to volunteer to help with our events, our blog and more, fill our our application form. If you have a question, email alsocme@gmail.com.

• Alabama Social Media Association website | Facebook | Twitter @ALsocme
  

Video: a look at the Alabama Social Media Association

Birmingham mayor William Bell meets several “Littles”
at Glen Iris Elementary School during a Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Greater Birmingham media conference.

In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, I want to turn the spotlight on one of my favorite Birmingham nonprofit organizations …

I’ve worked with a few nonprofit organizations in Birmingham over the years. But the group I spent the most time with was Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham. As a member of the junior board for 5 years, I recruited volunteers, raised money, organized events and helped the agency get the word out.

Many of you are likely familiar with the core program: matching adult mentors with children who need quality time in their lives. The commitments start at a year, but many “Bigs” in the program stick around with their “Littles” for years afterward. Bigs can take their Littles to fun events, to parks and arcades, but the most important thing Bigs do? Listen.

Surprising how that simple act can make such a major difference in a child’s life.

But one point I made over and over to potential volunteers was that Big Brothers Big Sisters need mentors in other programs, too. An interested adult could recruit her company to match up with a school to provide an hour a week per child on campus throughout the school year.

Though the needs of the agency continue to be more volunteers and more donations, it was interesting to me that they always needed more men to step forward. Another challenge was that the agency needed to reach more girls who might be interested in having a mentor, but not know how easy it was to enroll in the program, all for free.

If you’re interested in helping a really great cause and want to know you’re making an immediate positive contribution to Birmingham, I encourage you to take a look at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham. You have so many options on how you can help, but the first step is to get in touch with them at (205) 939-5590 or e-mailing chief executive officer Sue Johnson at sjohnson@bbbsbhm.org.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham website | Facebook | Twitter @BBBSBHM
  

Video: Big Brothers Big Sisters … start something.

Looking for something to do on your day off Monday? Check out the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, volunteering with Hands on Birmingham. Sign up at the site, and choose from a wide variety of projects, including cleaning up the Cahaba River, painting offices at First Light and fixing up Hill Elementary School.

It’s really easy. Just ask these volunteers …