Community Service organizations collaborate on 5 th Annual Thanksgiving Initiative with the International Academy of Smyrna

The 5 th Annual Thanksgiving Holiday Initiative, in partnership with the International Academy of Smyrna, was held on Tuesday November 18 th and Wednesday November 19 th at the school. The purpose of the initiative was to address food insecurities and to sponsor 70 Cobb County families who were experiencing challenges during the thanksgiving holiday. Each family signed up in advance for food support through the International Academy of Smyrna. The Henry Arthur Callis Education Foundation and a group of community stakeholders were all very supportive of this 5 th annual initiative and helped to provide all food items associated with a thanksgiving holiday meal.

Several community stakeholders were especially supportive in making this initiative a holiday blessing for Cobb County families including Youth To Men mentees and parents, The Pearl Foundation through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Future Business Leaders at Campbell High School, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, and the Cobb County Friendship Club.

On Saturday October 11th, under the leadership of Vernon Frazier, Troops 206 and 312 sponsored a 1 st ever Celebration of Scouting at Terrell Mill Park in Marietta. Troop 312 is affiliated with Turner Chapel AME Church and sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; and Troop 206 is affiliated with Zion Baptist Church in Roswell and sponsored by the Henry Arthur Callis Education Foundation. Scouts from each Troop introduced themselves, school attending, and mentioned their current rank. Several individual scouts and Troop leaders talked about ways to collaborate on current service initiatives and upcoming Eagle Projects.

Locally, the Henry Arthur Callis Education Foundation; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and Scouting have established a partnership for the purpose of implementing educational collaboration and programs that empower and enhance the quality of life for our youth. Scouting’s programs and activities help youth to fulfill their potential in academics, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills.

The Opening Celebration was an environment of high expectations for the young kings, and a long-term commitment by the HACEF to support and fund future opportunities for the Youth To Men mentoring program. The mentees and their parents were honored and celebrated for their commitment to an impactful year of planned activities. A few of the planned mentoring activities for the academic year include STEM immersion, community service opportunities; various team building activities; public speaking; financial literacy; personal branding; AI and Technology; a Youth Golf Outing; Scholarships; and a Career Fair to emphasize opportunities post-graduation such as paid internships, Coding and Tech certifications, apprenticeships, and career development after graduation.

A total of five (5) Youth to Men students have been selected to participate in the Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge (FELC), a five-day summer program available to high school students throughout the Southeast and held on the campus on Wingate University in North Carolina. This business program will be an opportunity for Youth To Men students to learn through interactive case studies about entrepreneurship, running a successful business, understanding the power of free enterprise, and economic development. The overnight program will also allow the students to have fun making new friends and living on a college campus.

In addition, the Wingate University School of Pharmacy faculty, staff, and students will host two (2) of our Youth To Men students in the Pharmacy program to learn more about the profession of pharmacy and introduce the more than 100 career paths in the profession. The Youth To Men students will gain hands-on experience with key pharmacy skills and visit local innovative pharmacy sites. Students will experience 4 days of college life while staying on the Wingate University campus, eating in the university dining hall, and enjoying evening recreational activities.

This is the 2nd year that HACEF has sponsored Youth To Men students participating in these exciting initiatives. Special thanks to Grady Grant III, Charles Plummer, Adolphus Drain, Dennis Taylor, Jai Dorsey, Gabriella Mallette, Dr Earl Stewart, and Christopher Boyd for their financial contributions through our Individual Giving campaign to make this experience possible.

The Henry Arthur Callis Education Foundation is extremely grateful for the companies and individuals who supported this Career Day event. Their generosity of time and involvement played a crucial role in making the event a success. Through their participation and commitment to the success of our mentees, they provided invaluable insights, resources, and encouragement to the students by helping to inspire and shape their career aspirations. Their commitment to supporting the next generation is truly appreciated. The Foundation also would like to thank Mr. Greg Ford and Mr. Courtney McCrae for their dedication and leadership in helping to make the Career Fair such a meaningful experience for all involved !

We thank to the following Public and Private sector businesses for participating:

• United States Forest Service                         
• The Clorox Company 
• Hyundai Capital of America                         
• Alisha Thomas Searcy, Former State Representative 
• Cobb County Sherriff’s Office                     
• Wellstar Health System
• Stearns, Montgomery & Proctor                   
• Baxter Healthcare Corp
• Cobb County Juvenile Court                         
• Kroger      
• A+ Pediatric Dentistry of Atlanta                  
• Central Square Technologies
• Georgia Tech Research Institute                   
• Army National Guard

Many HBCU’s participating were offering scholarships on-site. Students and families also had
the opportunity to schedule band interviews for those seeking band scholarships. The HACEF
Board would like to thank both James Ford II and Carlos Smiley for their leadership and
engagement to create this special opportunity for our Youth To Men mentees and families. We
would also like to thank our 2 Industry Sponsors, the Cobb Friendship Club and Cobb EMC
Foundation who provided funding to make this opportunity possible for our students and
families.

• Mentoring – Our sponsorship and mentoring will be tailored to individual students to ensure that they are gaining the business knowledge, skills, experiences, and behaviors that they need to be successful after high school.
• Business knowledge from all Sectors – Through our sponsorship, FBLA students will be exposed to experiences in multiple business sectors. These experiences will provide FBLA students with more transferable skills to further their education in areas of business, entrepreneurship, and / or higher education.

FBLA meets twice a month immediately after school. Twana Roots will be the HACEF Board lead contact supported by James Pippins, Dr. Earl Stewart, Andre Baird, Yolanda Wright, and Steven boyd. Several HACEF Industry partners and corporate sponsors will also participate and support the student led organization.