2012-2013 Bags of Hope

Alberta Elementary School (Tuscaloosa, AL) &  Hillview Elementary School (Birmingham, AL)

LOCAL CHARITIES PROVIDE SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Alabama Forever and Jeremiah Castille Foundation to giveaway book bags through Bags of Hope on February 13 – 14

BIRMINGHAM, AL– Jeremiah Castille Foundation and Alabama Forever are pleased to announce Bags of Hope at Alberta City Elementary in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on February 13, and Hillview Elementary School in Birmingham, Ala., on February 14. Bags of Hope provides book bags and school supplies to students whose families may not be able to purchase the needed materials. The Bags of Hope program, launched in 2008, has provided supplies to approximately 1,200 students and will reach an additional 600 students at Alberta City and Hillview Elementary.

“When I heard about Bags of Hope, I immediately thought of Alberta City Elementary School, which was destroyed by the April 27, 2011 tornadoes,” said Alex Sokol, founder of Alabama Forever. “This program provides the perfect opportunity to come alongside Jeremiah Castille Foundation and equip 300 more students to start the New Year prepared for school. These kids have been through so much in the last year and a half and we want to do all we can to encourage and spur them on in their education and personal lives.”

Members of the Mountain Brook High School Key Club filled 500 book bags for distribution, and Meadowbrook Baptist Church’s youth and children’s ministry packed 100 bags as a ministry project led by their youth pastor, Chris Jones. Both Alabama Forever and the Jeremiah Castille Foundation seek through Bags of Hope to give students a sense of pride knowing they have the tools needed to accomplish the educational task before them. On distribution day, Jeremiah Castille will be on sight at the schools to deliver an encouraging message and hand out the book bags in person.

For more information on Alabama Forever, please contact Alex Sokol, at 205-243-9539. For more information about Jeremiah Castille Foundation, please contact Barbara Blomeyer at 251-621-3375.

About Alabama Forever

Alabama Forever is an organization created in response to the April 27, 2011 tornadoes. The organization has expanded to work closely with any Alabama community in need of volunteer assistance. Although the organization was formed to help communities devastated by intense storms and tornadoes, Alabama Forever has adopted a much larger role by helping communities with other needs, such as the purchase and installation of playground equipment, the purchase of important items for schools and athletic teams, and helping rebuild these communities to give citizens a chance to improve their lives.  Alabama Forever has grown substantially since its founding last April and continues to bring relief and reassurance to struggling communities. Alabama Forever has donated nearly $135,000 to communities throughout the state of Alabama.

The mission of Alabama Forever is simple–to help our communities in need. Alabama Forever was founded by tragedy, developed by necessity, and inspired by the beauty and strength of what makes Alabama special, its people. All of our efforts s will be community based with the sum of the whole being far greater than its parts. For more information, please visit www.alabamaforever.org.

About Jeremiah Castille Foundation

Jeremiah Castille Foundation’s vision is to invest, influence, impact and inspire young lives so they may rebuild and restore future generations. It began in 1999 as Jeremiah Ministries and was renamed the Jeremiah Castille Foundation in 2007 to reflect the expansion of services and direction of the ministry. The foundation seeks to reach inner-city youth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Hope Revealed” to the hopeless is the focus of the programs of Jeremiah Castille Foundation.

Ministries include ministerial programs for marriage, family and individual Biblical counseling, individual and group discipleship, motivational speaking forums and evangelistic engagements. “Hope Revealed” to the hopeless is the focus of the programs of Jeremiah Castille Foundation.

For more information, please visit www.castillefoundation.org.

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