Location: Memphis, TN

Issue: HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ

During the era of earth-shaking social movements such as the Civil Rights, Gay Liberation, and Women’s Rights Movement, the LGBTQ community in Memphis and much of the South was still largely closeted and outside the mainstream of gay activism. In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis and awareness movement began, producing new prejudices and challenges for the LGBTQ community. Even today, Memphis continues to fight these issues. We are partnering with the OUTMemphis, Friends for Life, and the CHOICES, where we can help empower and advocate for the LGBTQ and HIV community of the mid-south. Participants can expect to prepare food for Thanksgiving dinner, package kits for the food bank to distribute, and decorate for Thanksgiving celebrations. 

Location: Huntsville, AL

Issue: Community Development, Poverty

Many may know Huntsville as being home to NASA, but it is also home to Lincoln Village, an overlooked and struggling community. Lincoln Village Ministry and the Manna House, our two partner organizations for this year, both seek to impact this community by providing services such as youth education programs, physical and emotional support to struggling families, and food distribution to people in need. During the week, students will work to help break the cycle of poverty in the area by helping with home renovations, tutoring children, weeding gardens, and working at food banks. As an all-encompassing site of service, Huntsville will serve as an eye-opening experience for all of those who are willing to learn from their surroundings.

Location: Kissimmee, FL

Issue: Medicine, Youth

Since 1989, Give Kids the World Village has been providing children with life threatening illnesses and their families a cost-free, weeklong trip to all of the theme parks in central Florida. This whimsical village is fully handicap accessible and allows children a chance to forget about their troubles and enjoy being a kid. A child is never turned away, and the village has provided a week of fun to over 115,000 children. To make this dream-come-true possible, 1,200 shifts are covered every week by volunteer “angels.” ATWB participants will work in a variety of settings, both behind the scenes and directly with families.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Issue: Urban Poverty, LGBTQ

This year, we are partnering with GLBT Historical Society in addition to GLIDE and St. Anthony’s. The latter two create an inclusive community for those living in poverty in the high-cost-of-living city of San Fransisco. Together, they provide over 4,000 meals per day to the city’s poor, homeless, and hungry. Participants will take on a role in the assembly line to serve meals and will even get a chance to sit down with the Tenderloin residents for a meal and fellowship. GLBT Historical Society, between its Historical Society Museum and Research Center, helps promote a better understanding of LGBTQ culture to the public. As an additional component to serving meals, ATWB participants will get to work at the museum in roles that span greeting visitors to setting up for musuem exhibitions. 

Location: Wanchese, NC

Issue: Coastal Restoration

Over 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, killing over 1 million sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals. No matter where we live, the well-being of our Earth depends on healthy oceans, and it all starts at the coast. This year we are partnering with North Carolina Coastal Federation, Nature Conservancy, and Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Participants will collect debris from wetlands, maintain rain gardens, and bag oyster shells which are used to build reefs. ATWB volunteers will also learn about coastal habitats and restoration methods. Environmentalists and earth-loving newbies alike both stand to learn something new from this site!

Location: New Orleans, LA

Issue: Housing Inequality

We all know New Orleans as one of the country’s most vibrant and unique cities. However, Katrina in 2005 displaced nearly 90% of citizens from their homes. Although the city was been rebuilt, many of the poorest citizens were left to fend for themselves. In order to help restore the homes and lives of those who are financially struggling and/or physically disabled, we are working with Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO), a non-profit organization that seeks to return people to safe living conditions without making them move from the home they are already in. Participants will work under the supervision of skilled construction staff to rebuild homes of low-income veterans, elderly, or disabled citizens. You will perform tasks such as painting and landscaping in order to refurbish old, deteriorating homes in the New Orleans Parish.