Alabama Possible removes barriers to prosperity, promotes college access and success.

“College” is the attainment of valuable postsecondary credentials beyond high school, including professional/

technical certificates and academic degrees.”

Report to the CommunityDECEMBER 2015

Alabama Possible creates educational equity for low income, minority, and first-generation college-going students across Alabama. Thanks to your investment, we can:

• Teammorethan1,000studentswith225near-peermentorstocompletemilestonesfocusedonthesocial,emotional,andfinancialaspectsofcollegeaccessandsuccessthroughtheBlueprints College Access Initiative;

• BoostFAFSA(FreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid)completionacrossthestatebycombiningdirectservicesandcross-sectorpartnershipswithschoolsystems,highereducationinstitutions,andcommunityorganizationsthroughCash for College; and

• DevelopcollegesuccessresourcesforBirminghamstudentsaspartofourLumina Foundation Community Partnership for Attainment goal to boost college success from23percentfortheClassof2007to65percentfortheClassof2025.

“Financial aid can really motivate you.”

“Blueprints taught me that education beyond high school gives

me options of what I want to be.”

“Blueprints makes learning about college fun and exciting.”

Angelica GantHuffman High School Class of 2015

Berea College Freshman

Meghan ThomasMontevallo High School Junior

Bethany SparksPhil Campbell High School Class of 2015

University of North Alabama Freshman

Left: A Montevallo High School senior signs his name to a College Application Week poster after applying to college in November 2015. Top right: Blueprints worked with a cohort at Phil Campbell High School beginning shortly after the 2011 tornados until their May 2015 graduation. Bottom right: The entire Ramsay High School freshman class visited Birmingham-Southern College in Spring 2015.

FAITH COMMUNITIESAuburn First Baptist ChurchBenedictine SistersCamp DeSotoCanterbury United Methodist ChurchChurch of the Nativity, EpiscopalDawson Family of FaithFairhope Unitarian FellowshipIndependent Presbyterian Church

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONSAlabama State Department of EducationAlabama Department of Public HealthAlabama Appleseed Center for Law & JusticeAlabama Coalition for Immigrant JusticeAlabama Food Bank AssociationBirmingham City SchoolsBirmingham Urban LeagueBlount County SchoolsDavid Mathews Center for Civic LifeEAT SouthEnd Child Hunger in AlabamaEqual Justice InitiativeFood Research and Action CenterFoodCorpsFranklin County SchoolsHale County SchoolsHispanic Interest Coalition of AlabamaHoly Family Cristo Rey Catholic High SchoolJefferson County Department of Public HealthJones Valley Teaching FarmKiwanis Club of BirminghamLee County SchoolsMorgan County SchoolsNational Association of Social WorkPerry County SchoolsRiver Region Food Policy CouncilServe Alabama

Shelby County SchoolsSowing Seeds of HopeTuscaloosa City SchoolsTuscaloosa County SchoolsVOICES for Alabama’s ChildrenYWCA Central AlabamaThe Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham

FOUNDATIONS & CORPORATE SUPPORTAlabama Power FoundationAlabama State Bar AssociationAlagasco Leadership AssociationAmazonSmileATTAvondale Brewing CompanyBirmingham Education FoundationBlount County Education FoundationBlueCross BlueShield of AlabamaBradley Arant Boult Cummings LLPBuffalo Rock CompanyCahaba Brewing CompanyThe Daniel Foundation of AlabamaGood People Brewing CompanyHonda Manufacturing of AlabamaIndependent Presbyterian Church FoundationJunior League of BirminghamKnowledgeWorksLeaf & PetalLumina FoundationMary Reynolds Babcock FoundationMike & Gillian Goodrich FoundationNational College Access NetworkO’Neal Industrieso2ideasProtective LifeRegions BankSouthern Education Foundation

Tacala, LLCTaco Bell Foundation For TeensTrim Tab Brewing CompanyUAB Benevolent FundUAB Educational FoundationUnited Way of Central AlabamaUnited Way of Madison CountyUSAFundsVulcan Materials CompanyWalker Area Community FoundationYouth Philanthropy Council—Youthserve Inc

HIGHER EDUCATION ALLIANCE CORNERSTONE MEMBERSAuburn UniversityAuburn University at MontgomeryBirmingham-Southern CollegeNorthwest-Shoals Community CollegeSamford UniversityThe University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity of West Alabama

HIGHER EDUCATION ALLIANCE MEMBERSAlabama Community College SystemAthens State UniversityCalhoun Community CollegeEnterprise State Community CollegeFaulkner UniversityJacksonville State UniversityJudson CollegeLawson State Community CollegeNortheast Alabama Community CollegeShelton State Community CollegeTroy UniversityUniversity of MontevalloWallace State Community College—Hanceville

HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORTERSIngram State Technical CollegeTuskegee University

INDIVIDUALSAaron WattsAisha HenleyAlicia ScottAmanda BarberAmanda StoreyAmy SamuelsAndrew BattistaAnn FlorieAngela DennisonAngela SproullAnna PattersonAnnette KluckAriel SmithArthur OrrAshleigh StaplesBarry MazerBelle VealBenjamin Wieseman & Jennifer CloeBill & Becky SmithBill & Walker JonesBob & Teresa ShufflebargerBrad PeelerBrannon BuckBrannon LentzBrenda HackneyBriana JuarezBrooks & Libba VaughanCamille SpratlingCarl & Ann JonesCarl & Mary HogeCarol ButlerCarol ClarkeCarol SchulzCaroline DunnCaryn CorenblumCatherine ButlerCatherine GregoryCatherine Sloss JonesCharles PetersonCharlotte WardCheryl MorganChip BivinsChristopher McCauleyChristina HallChristopher DodsworthClark Hultquist

Claude & Kate NielsenConnie OdenConstance O’BrienCourtney BentleyCraig AllenCraig BaabCurtis & Jean LilesDaniel & Brooke ColemanDanny MarksteinDavid CarringtonDavid NastDeb Watts & John WardDee WardDee WoodhamDevon CantwellDon & Sandy LoganDonald & Ronne HessDorothy HustonDouglas ColeDrew LinnEd & Candy MeyersonEdward & Amanda WilsonEdward & Catharine FriendEdward ChristianElizabeth HarbinElna R. BrendelEmma FeelyEric WahlFawn RomineFord & Karla WilesFrances FordFrancis RushtonFrank & Jothany JamesFred & Connie McCallumGary DunavantGregory SamuelsHannah YearganHarriet GilesHumphrey LeeIrene BlalockJ. Mason & June DavisJack SchaefferJamie SandfordJarrett LeeJason HitchcockJean ShanksJeanne JacksonJeff RichardsonJenelle Evans McGrawJessica IversonJill MeyerJimika ColvinJoe AdamsJoey Pierson

John A. FloydJohn & Kathy EnglishJohn HeardJonathan CellonJoshua & Samantha McCoolJoyce GreathouseJoyce Spielberger & Maury ShevinJulie Levinson-GabisK.C. VickKathryn StricklandKaydee Erdreich BremanKent C. JenkinsKevi MartinKevin & Laurel HitchcockKristina ScottLarry GerberLarry LeeLarry ThorntonLaura DebiasiLeah ShermanLee HitchcockLeena PatelLenora PateLenore VickreyLesley McClureLinda ImhoffLindsay TurnerLisa & Alan EngelLisa BakerLisa HitchcockLisa TurleyLucie Lee LanouxLudmila GlobaLynette SandleyLynne PatrickMiller & Frances GorrieMarshall PollardMary BurchartMatthew KnierimMelanie SageMelinda LedfordMeredith HicksMeredith TetloffMike & Anne WarrenMiranda GrayMitchie NeelN.D. McClure, IVNancy CargileNancy GoedeckeNancy IversonNancy WalburnNeal & Anne BerteNiko Tsivourakis

Olivia AlisonPaige SandheinrichPatricia ScottPeter D. TremblayPhilip BoydPhill & Marsha MimsPhillip & Marsha HurtPhylis SimmonsRachel NicholsRalph & Lesley FosterReeve JacobusRhonda SiegelRichard HollandRick VestRobert & Kelly AlandRobert HolmesRuffner PageRyan HankinsSallie ShipmanSam & Claire ParkerSanjay & Dora Eugenia SinghSara Jane SheaScott & Cameron VowellScott & Tracy ColeShelby ColeSidney L. BrownStacey MartinStan & Martha CarpenterStan PylantStanley LawlerSteve & Laura MurrayStuart & Barbara RoyalSuhyun SuhSusan LeshinskyT.C. McLemore & Natalie LaneTanya BrownTaylor & Lydia PursellTimothy RooksTimothy SuttonTom & Melinda McLemoreTom & Susan LowderTom RichardsonValerie GordonVictoria KnierimVirginia PattersonWalter MakousWayne & Dorothy FlyntWendell & Pam IversonWendi BoyenWendy JacksonWilliam & Dianne MooneyWilliam HamiltonWilliam Ratliff

Every effort has been made to acknowledge the generosity of our supporters correctly and completely. Should you discover an error or omission, please call us at 205-939-1408.

Many thanks to the foundations, higher education institutions, faith communities, business and community organizations, and individuals who supported our events and made financial contributions.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ralph Foster, Chair Auburn University

Fightress Aaron ActioNet, Inc.

Irene Blalock Birmingham Public Library (ret.)

Sidney Brown, PhD Auburn University Montgomery (ret.)

Scott Cole Cole Financial Planning

Wayne Flynt, PhD* Auburn University (ret.)

Leon Frazier, EdD* Alabama State University (ret.)

Laurel Hitchcock, PhD UAB

Elliott Lauderdale, PhD University of South

Alabama (ret.)

Humphrey Lee, EdD Northwest-Shoals

Community College

Sam Parker New Visions Properties, LLC

Virginia Patterson Bradley Arant Boult

Cummings

Joey Pierson Tacala, LLC

Richard Rice The Rice Firm, LLC

Isabel Rubio Hispanic Interest Coalition of

Alabama

Joyce Spielberger Magic Moments

Libba Vaughan UAB

Cameron Vowell, PhD Civic Volunteer

Edward Wilson, MD, PhD Pathologist (ret.)

STAFFKristina Scott, Executive Director

Thomas C. McLemore, Communications and Development Manager

Elizabeth Parks, Program Manager

Keslie Boyles, AmeriCorps*VISTA

Ayumi Byrd, AmeriCorps*VISTA

Ashleigh Staples, AmeriCorps*VISTA

2014 STUDENT FELLOWSKrystal Dozier, The University of Alabama

Lee Gilmer, The University of Alabama School of Law

Reeve Jacobus, Birmingham-Southern College

Trevor Jones, University of Montevallo

Raven Knowlton, Birmingham-Southern College

Lilly Lanter, University of Montevallo

Jasmine McKinney, The University of Alabama

Chamblee Shufflebarger, Bowdoin College

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Growing investments to remove barriers to prosperity, 2009-2014

*emeritus

Poverty simulations give participants an opportunity to walk in their neighbors’ shoes

Poverty simulations increase participants’ understanding of thehardshipsandemotionaltollexperiencedbylow-incomefamilies.Duringasimulation,participantsareplacedintoteamsoffamilies,andtheyexperiencechallengessuchasmaintainingemployment,caring for children or elderly family members, seeking publicassistance,anddealingwithtransportationissues.

AlabamaPossible facilitated18poverty simulationsattendedbymorethan1200Alabamiansduring2015.Afterthesimulation,participantssaidtheyhaveanewperspectiveandrespectforthosefacingpoverty.

Inaugural Hungry for Justice Conference Connects Student Service and Advocacy

Alabama Possible partnered withTroy University for the FirstAnnual Hungry for Justice SummitonFriday,April10.

The morning combined keynotes talks and panel conversationsfeaturingpublicpolicyprofessionalsanduniversityfacultyandstaff.

Theafternoonsessionfeaturedlightningtalksbystudentsabouttheir advocacy projects. Students could share ideas and thinkaboutdifferentapproachestosimilarprojects,suchasthosetakenbytheAuburnandTroyCampusKitchensgroups.

Throughouttheday,studentsexpressedastrongdesiretoconnectwithlike-mindedadvocatesacrossdifferentcampuses.

“Charitableeffortstendtorunonlimitedcapacityandfunding,”said University of Montevallo StudentTrevorJones,aseniorsocialworkmajor.“Bysharingtheobstacleswefaceandthesolutionswehavefoundwithoneanotherregularly,wecanreducetheamountoftimeandenergydedicatedtoproblemsolving.”

Lifetime of Learning conference explores engaged learning as justice learning

Marion’s rich higher education and civil rights history made it anaturalvenueforthisyear’sLifetime of Learning Conference,whichwasheldatJudson College onFriday,September18.

Dr. Jennifer Stollman, academic director of the William WinterInstitute for Racial Reconciliation at the University ofMississippi,deliveredthemorningkeynote.

“Weareempoweredbyourabilitiestomakechangeimmediatelyandnotwaiting for others.Wemust have the bravery of awarrior, theintelligenceofasage,andthecompassionofamother,”saidStollman.

TheUniversityofAlabamaHonorsCollege’s57MilesInitiativeledawalkingtourofdowntownMarionandatourofFrancisMarionHighSchool,which gave attendees to connectwith eachother and learnaboutthisPerryCountycommunity.

OtherspeakersincludedBillieJeanYoung,Judson’sartist-in-residence,andMicheleForman,directorofUAB’smediastudiesprogram.

Poverty simulations participants said:

“As a result of this experience, I will advocate and explain why combating poverty is so important.”

“It’s a real struggle for some families. They don’t get to choose their life.”

“People living in poverty don’t have access to the resources we assume are available to everyone.”

“People try really hard to get out of poverty, but bad circumstances happen to them and make it

impossible to make their lives better.”

“I will share the pervasive stress of poverty.”

“I will be empathetic because you never know people’s situation.”

“I will remember how I felt in a desperate situation and the mutual frustration.”

What does it mean to be an Alabamian? Bill Jones and Shelley Stewart honored by Alabama Possible and share their stories

OnTuesday,October27,retiredO’Neal Industries Vice Chair Bill Jones and Shelley “The Playboy” Stewartjoinedwith140attendeesatBirmingham’sFlorentineBuildinginaconversationaboutwhatitmeans to be an Alabamian.

Alabamaisa“statefullofopportunity,”saidBillJones,whocurrentlyleadstheBoldGoalsEducationCoalition.However,inorderforthestatetomeetitspotential,“weneedtofocusonthoseareasthattrulyarescarsandtrulyareproblemsinourstate,likepoverty.”

Shelley Stewart recounted his life story, which included beinghomelessasachild.Hefocusedonhopeandsaidthat“ifthere’snopower in thepresent, there’snohope for the future. It’s about thepowerofeducation.Thepowernow.That’swhathopeis.”

Thanks to you, our annual fundraising dinner and conversation raisedmorethan$50,000.Weareputtingthatinvestmenttoworkeducating,collaborating,andadvocatingtobreakdownthebarrierstoprosperityinAlabama.

SpecialthankstoCo-ChairsReneeBlalockandRobertHolmesandKeystone Sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama; Bradley,Arant,Boult&Cummings,LLP;HondaManufacturingofAlabama;O’NealIndustries;ProtectiveLife;Tacala,LLC;Bill&BeckySmith;Scott&CameronVowell;andVulcanMaterialsCompany.

You can watch video at youtube.com/alabamapossible

PO BOX 55058BIRMINGHAM, AL 35255

T: 205.939.1408 W: WWW.ALABAMAPOSSIBLE.ORG

DECEMBER 2015 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

Shelley Stewart and Bill Jones discussed education, race, and relationships during their conversation.

Craft O’Neal and Miller and Frances Gorrie help honor Bill Jones and Shelley Stewart.