At YouthServe, we believe young people aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow — they’re leaders today. For over 20 years, YouthServe has empowered thousands of youth across the Birmingham area to lead, serve, and make a positive impact. We are committed to forming young leaders who are aware of the needs in their communities; connected to a diverse group of peers and experts; and equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to make change happen. Now, we need your help to keep this mission moving forward.
Harvest the future is a five-week fall fundraising challenge running from September 28th to October 31 with one big goal: raise $15,000 to harvest the future in youth leadership! And thanks to a generous anonymous donor, every dollar given is being matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $15,000!
Each week, a new “fall activity” unlocks — fun, creative challenges that give you exciting ways to participate while creating real impact for our youth. Whether you’re donating or spreading the word, you’re part of the team that is helping us harvest the future in Birmingham!
Weekly Harvest Goals
Week 1 (Sept 28- Oct 4): Planting Seeds!
Before we ever launched publicly, our board of directors quietly got the season started — making gifts and reaching out to their own networks to plant the first seeds of our harvest. Their early support laid the foundation for everything that's to come.
Week 2 (Oct 5 - 11): Grow the Patch!
When you donate $15 or more you can add to our pumpkin patch and watch it grow! This week we want students to be in the spotlight! Stay tuned on social media for student testimonies of their experiences at YouthServe and WHY Harvesting the Future truly matters!
Week 3 (Oct 12 - 18): Fall Food Fest!
Join us at some of your favorite local restaurants as we dive into fall food fest week! Proceeds from purchases at these restaurants during allotted time frames will be donated to YouthServe:
🍦 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
📅 Tuesday, October 13 | 4:00–7:00 PM
📍 219 29th Street South, Pepper Place
🌮 Chipotle Mexican Grill
📅 Wednesday, October 14 | 4:00–8:00 PM
📍 273 Lakeshore Pkwy, Homewood, AL 35209
🎟️ Be sure to show the YouthServe flyer at the register when ordering!
🥐 Panera Bread
📅 Thursday, October 15 | 4:00–8:00 PM
📍 143 Summit Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35243
🎟️ Be sure to show the YouthServe flyer at the register when ordering!
Week 4 (Oct 19 - 25): *Pumpkin* Pie in the Face!
Giving $10 or more this week and nominate a Youth Leadership Council member or YouthServe staff member to get "pied" in the face at our October 20th and 22nd meetings! Stay tuned for a video of the fun.
Week 5 (Oct 26 – 31): Countdown to Halloween! Let's add more to that pumpkin patch!
This is our last chance to reach our campaign goal of $15,000! If we hit that target by this Saturday, every dollar given will be doubled, turning your generosity into twice the support for YouthServe’s youth leadership programs.
You can add more than just a pumpkin to the patch! Watch as your donations can add sunflowers, leaves, branches and even full trees to the patch! Can you help us add trees? Keep an eye on "The Pumpkin Patch" tab and our social media to watch the patch grow more and more!
This campaign isn’t just about raising dollars. It’s about harvesting the futures for young leaders to dream big, take action, and change their communities for the better.
Thanks to the generosity of past supporters, youth have been able to lead incredible service projects, build connections across neighborhoods, and discover their own power to create change. Now, with your help, even more young people can step into leadership and grow through YouthServe’s programs.
We are deeply grateful for every gift, large or small, that keeps this mission moving forward.
You can learn more about YouthServe's work at www.youthservebham.org.