Hometown Heroes
The Alabama Power Foundation is fortunate to work with many hometown heroes - men and women who are making a difference in their community every day. The Foundation's small role can help make a big impact in a community.
Rebecca York, business office manager at Alabama Power's Aliceville office, has partnered with the Foundation on several projects. "Pickens County has been blessed with financial assistance from the Foundation. But, most importantly, the Foundation has provided us with the inspiration that anything worthwhile is possible, no matter how small and poor an area may be," said York. "We have received wonderful ideas for projects where we recognized the need but did not know how to solve the issue. The Foundation has provided hope and encouragement for our area."
Here are some ways the Alabama Power Foundation is continuing Alabama Power's legacy of caring and supporting hometown heroes.
The Aliceville Museum and Cultural Arts Center
During World War II the City of Aliceville was home to Camp Aliceville, which housed more than 6,000 German prisoners of war. The first POWs arrived in June 1943 from German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. Camp Aliceville operated from 1942 to 1945. It was the largest of the 25 POW camps built in Alabama and employed more than 1,000 guards and civilians.
In 1989, the Aliceville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a Friendship Reunion for former German POWs, American military guards and American civilian employees associated with Camp Aliceville. The reunion was a success with more than 200 participants, and many brought artifacts from the camp. A 50th anniversary reunion was held in 1993 and it became apparent that the growing assortment of artifacts needed a permanent home. Land was secured on Broad Street in Aliceville and the Aliceville Museum and Cultural Arts Center opened in February 1995.
The museum offers an extensive collection of artifacts from Camp Aliceville including POWs' paintings, sculpture, musical instruments, photographs and furniture. Donated Afrika Korps equipment and Camp Aliceville publications are also on display. In 2002, the collection spread to an adjacent building and now honors World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Middle Eastern veterans. The museum also houses vintage Coca-Cola bottling works.
Black Belt Treasures
An old car dealership in Camden, Alabama is now an impressive gallery showcasing more than 250 artists. This colorful space is home to Black Belt Treasures which offers original crafts such as quilts, wood carvings, gourd art, paintings, baskets, pottery, jewelry and local foods by artists for purchase. The artists live in the eighteen county service area, which includes Alabama's Black Belt.
Black Belt Treasures was founded in September 2005 to help spur economic growth. The store was created and supported by the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission and the University of Alabama. Support also comes from members of the Black Belt Treasures Guild. Black Belt Treasures gives the artists an opportunity to expose their work to a broader audience. The mission has worked - Black Belt Treasures has welcomed visitors from more than 39 states and 12 countries.
The store also provides educational opportunities to the community. Art classes are offered as well as summer art camps for children aged 6 to 13. Additionally, Black Belt Treasures hosts an annual folk life festival, a free arts festival for area residents.
For more information and to browse Black Belt Treasures' collection visit www.blackbelttreasures.com.
The Coleman Center
"There is just something special about the Coleman Center," said Shana Berger, co-director of the center. Residents of the town agree. The Coleman Center offers a unique mix of arts and community programs to town residents. The mission of the center is to "enrich lives by integrating art into education, civic life and community development throughout the Black Belt."
Since 2003 the Coleman Center has been hosting resident artists who share their talents with the community. The center hosts festivals, art exhibitions and workshops, which allow community members to participate in the arts. Selected artists offer art education programs and public art projects with help from community members. The center also is home to the city of York's library.
A current two-year project is the One Mile Garden created by artists Bob Bingham, Ally Reeves and Robin Hewlett. Land behind the Coleman Center and two plots in York are covered in organic rows of okra, corn, watermelon, herbs and other vegetables. The gardens were planted with the help of 15 area students. "So many people are starting a garden," said Nathan Purath, co-director of the center, "hopefully the project will create small-scale food production and help connect the residents to the land and to each other."
The One Mile Garden has been a project of the community, with residents donating their time and much needed items such as soil. Coleman Center supporters hope the project will enable community members to eat fresh, organic vegetables. For more information on the Coleman Center visit www.colemanarts.org.
Rotaract Club of Birmingham
In 2005, the Rotaract Club of Birmingham was searching for a signature service project that would positively impact the city of Birmingham. The club chose to target education, specifically reading comprehension. V.J. Graffeo, current Rotaract president explains, "Research showed that second grade was a critical time in a student's educational development. If a student falls behind in second grade, he or she will have a hard time catching up." Also, in order to become better readers, the students needed direct access to books. The Ready 2 Read program was created to answer this need by placing libraries in every second grade classroom in the Birmingham City School System.
The club piloted the program in several schools before launching Ready 2 Read in September 2008. Each classroom library consists of 128 books selected specifically for second-grade readers. The students have a reading journal to mark which books they have read and to rate whether they liked or disliked the book. Volunteers from Rotaract adopt a classroom to deliver the library and return once a month to read to the students. Classroom volunteers donated more than 1,100 hours in 2008 to the program.
Ready 2 Read was recently named the 2009 International Winner of Outstanding Rotaract Projects by Rotary International at its 100th convention in Birmingham, England. The program will enter its second year this fall and will continue to inspire 4,000 students to adopt a love of reading.
