ACTS4C, Alabama Power Service Organization volunteers boost Abrams Elementary community scholars with free school supplies

Caring and kindness were the themes of the inaugural Acts of Service for the Community (ACTS4C) event benefiting Abrams Elementary community scholars in Bessemer on July 19.

While one goal was to boost the historically underserved community by providing school supplies to children, former Abrams Principal Mildred Posey saw the occasion as a joyous time to demonstrate concern and caring.

During the four-hour event, volunteers handed out materials for the 2025-26 school year, such as mesh backpacks, crayons, markers, pencils, pens and three-prong folders. Families enjoyed music, indulged in free snacks, meals and drinks from food trucks, and took part in raffles for gift cards while youngsters enjoyed facepainting and playing in an inflatable bounce house.

While providing supplies and support for Abrams’ 225 students in pre-four K through fifth grade, volunteers from Alabama Power and other groups interacted one-on-one with the children.

“The volunteers were excited and so engaged with the children,” Posey noted. “The children got prizes when they played the games, and they were excited about the games that they were playing.”

Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) delighted parents and kids alike, peppering fun-time with educational pep talks in time for the start of school Aug. 8.

Marcus Ramsey and the Magic City APSO team shared the importance of performing with excellence. Other Alabama Power volunteers included Andreal Howard, Recruiting consultant; Christalyn Sexton, customer care associate; Robbie Terrell, end user analyst; and TaKeya Robertson, staff accountant.

While serving as program chair and an ACTS4C board member, Ramsey also is the communications chair of Magic City APSO and a board member of Alabama A&M Alumni.

“We joined forces to provide resources for underserved Bessemer and give back to the community. We wanted to bring something to the area,” said Ramsey, who started his Alabama Power career in 2017 as an engineering co-op student at Alabama A&M University. “This is the first event of its kind for ACTS4C, and we look forward to making it bigger and better with time.”

Repeating the event next year excites Posey, who helped oversee the Saturday evening activities.

“During the whole year – it doesn’t matter if it’s summer or the school year – sometimes students have some challenges, and parents have challenges, as well,” said Posey, who retired as Abrams’ principal June 30 after working five years. Abrams advanced from being an “F” school to a “B” school within that period.

“I just think it’s important to let scholars know that we still support them throughout the year, the whole family, not just the children,” she added. “If the parents are hurting, then the children are hurting, as well. We want every child to come back to school prepared, with all their supplies.”

A product of Hueytown High School, Posey earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee; a master’s degree in elementary education from UAB; and a master’s level certification in education leadership and an educational specialist degree in education leadership from Samford University.

As a lifelong educator, Posey knows first-hand that a prepared student is confident. She believes that having others showing care and concern about students and doing something good for them makes children feel loved, which prompts them to try harder to do well academically.

“I think this is very, very important. I would love for them to make this an annual event,” Posey said. “Abrams is located in a low-socioeconomic-background area. However, we promote our students, we build them up and make them feel good about themselves to establish better self-esteem. During the years I’ve been here, I’ve seen scholars’ self-esteem just evolve, evolve and evolve.

“We have community support, community leaders surrounding them and celebrating our students because of what they’re doing and how they’re doing. It makes a great difference in a child’s life to know that someone cares about them, on the outside.”

Posey is thrilled that the Bessemer community “got the love.”

ACTS4C partnered with the Alabama A&M Alumni Association, Alabama Power, Allen Temple Church, Bessemer Parks and Recreation, Order of Eastern Star of Birmingham, Greater Shelby County, Magic City APSO and Walmart.