In April 2013, for Alcohol Awareness Month, Sherri Foster, Eula Gaines, and Valerie Moore of Gateway's Community Connections Program hosted a highly successful month of prevention activities in Midfield. In collaboration with the Midfield Police Department they conducted a Drug Take-back event at the Midfield Recreation Center. Concurrent with the Drug Take-Back event, they conducted a Pastors’ Conference to raise awareness and to solicit involvement in efforts to increase safety for children in the Midfield community, especially as it pertains to underage drinking and availability of alcohol and other drug to minors. Both events were successful. The pastors attending the conference expressed gratitude for the work of Gateway in interest of the children and were actively engaged in conversation around ideas for increasing community awareness and involvement. Several good ideas were presented along with commitments for action within the faith community.

A poster contest was held to bring awareness on the effects of alcohol use and the winners were honored by the Midfield City Mayor Gary Richardson and Gateway. There was also an event held at the Midfield Public Library and the Midfield Community Center titled Walk the Line. Participants were able to wear drunk gargles and walk an obstacle course to show alcohol impairs your ability to function.  Check out all of the pictures on our Facebook page by clicking here. 

Using Macy’s Facebook app, send FREE Mother’s Day e-cards to the outstanding women in your life. With each e-card sent, Macy’s will donate $2 to FUTURES, up to $400,000.

Money raised through the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom challenge will support our violence prevention and education programs focused on critical issues—from bullying and digital abuse to domestic violence and sexual assault. You can help Macy’s, a Gateway sponsor, raise thousands of dollars, without spending a dime! All it takes is two minutes. Here’s how it works:

Visit the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom Facebook app and choose Futures Without Violence as the charity recipient. Celebrate all of the Moms in your life! Send up to 15 e-cards via Facebook, and 10 cards via email per day!

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/

On Friday, April 19, 2013, a new library was revealed at Gateway's Rushton School!  Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Miss Leeds Area 2013, Chandler Champion, along with the Optimist Clubs of Birmingham and Leeds in coordination with the staff of Rushton School, the clients placed in Gateway's Rushton School have a beautiful new library!  Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to remodel the library!  Good job! 

Gateway Celebrates National Child Abuse Prevention Month, April, in cooperation with Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama!  Check it out!

If you haven't heard them already on the radio, check out our recent radio spots promoting Gateway's Off the Wall fundraiser! Special thanks to Gateway Board member James Gettys and Cox Media Group for arranging our radio spots. Interviews feature Gateway CEO Jim Loop and Gateway Board member Jeremy Long!

Here's their interview on 95.7 Jamz with Mary K: Gateway on 95.7 Jamz.mp3

And their interview on the Valerie Hicks Powe Show on WAGG: Gateway on the Valerie_Hicks_Powe_Show.mp3

Check out Junior Board member Tarji Kinsey and Gateway Junior Board coordinator Karin Ingram Park on this morning's "Talk of Alabama" on ABC 33/40 doing a great job promoting Gateway & Faux-lympics! Click here to watch their interview & go to http://www.gway.org/faux-lympics  to find out more information about our Faux-lympics fundraiser!

The Premier Jewelry Show Fundraiser took place on Saturday, February 23, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The event raised $585 (40% of sales) to benefit Rushton School Library at Gateway! Big thank you to Optimist Club of Birmingham for all the great things they do for Gateway! Click here to read more about the fundraiser and other great works of our friends at Optimist Club of Birmingham!

The 2nd Annual Greater Birmingham 5K Walk and Run for Foster Care, billed as Walk Me Home…to the place I belong, is the signature fund-raising and awareness event for foster care in America. It is a great way to support the more than 513,000 children in foster care, 6000 of which reside in the state of Alabama.

The event will take place Saturday, April 27 at Veterans Park located at 4800 Valleydale Road in Hoover. Registration for the run is from 7 a.m. until the race begins at 8 a.m. Registration for the walk is from 8 a.m. until the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Pre-registration is available at http://www.firstgiving.com/walkmehome/shelby2013. The cost for all registration is $30.00. Registration must be completed by April 13th to receive a shirt.

Non-runners and non-walkers are welcome to enjoy live entertainment, resource booths, vendors, refreshments, crafts, speakers and a presentation by the Hogs and Harleys. Medals will be awarded following the run and walk to the top 5 participants in each age group, and trophies to the top runner or walker in each age group. Each participant will receive blue ribbons that will be hung on the trees in the park to highlight Foster Children.

The Walk Me Home 5k was developed nationally by the National Foster Parent Association to raise awareness for foster care, promote fostering, and raise funds needed to support the programs and services directly benefiting the Greater Birmingham foster children and youth. For more information visit nfpaonline.org.

Rachel Pitman
678-642-1858
rachelpitman4@gmail.com

   Throughout America Saves Week, February 25th through March 2nd, eCO Credit Union used various outlets to spread the savings message to the community. From Social Media Updates to News Features on CBS 42, eCO made sure the urgency of saving was promoted.

eCO also hosted an education seminar for the community. On February 25th, members and the community gathered at the Homewood Library for Make a Plan Workshop: Budgeting 101. Doug Horst, Program Director at Gateway Financial Freedom, broke down the elements of a spending plan. First, he shared the benefits of a spending plan.  Read more here NEWS_RELEASE_-_America_Saves_Week_2.pdf