Sozo Children

Since 1944 The Jimmie Hale Mission has been a shelter for the homeless, a rest stop for the weary, a feeding station for the hungry, and a sanctuary for the hurting. For many, the Mission has not been their last stop but the first step toward a changed life.

Churches working together...to meet needs...to change lives. The Birmingham Baptist Association is a partnership of 135 congregations in the Metro-Birmingham area. BBA provides year-round opportunities for church members live a Christian witness to their neighbors through block parties and outreach, to those in need through feeding and housing, and to the ends of the earth through missions trips and disaster relief work. The Association brings churches together in numerous short-term and long-term volunteer projects as well as providing shared resources for each church: training for lay ministers, leadership development for church staff, media library materials, and consultation on church issues. Member churches can receive support through leadership training, legal and financial consultation, our educational resources library, and planning of group events.

Established in 1999, Central Alabama Women s Business Center is a project of the Schlarb Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs. Based in Birmingham, Ala., it serves a seven county area, including Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, Walker, Talladega and Tuscaloosa Counties. The center provides an educational scholarship, counseling and learning opportunities, assistance in finding loans for those who are unable to obtain funding from traditional sources for their business growth needs, programs about topics of interest to women business owners going out on their own, starting a business or growing an existing business.