Photo courtesy of Brooke McKinley.
Darrel Weaver, vice president of Healthcare Services at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, will be guest speaker of Shelby Emergency Assistance’s 50th Anniversary Gala.
Jane McClanahan said she can’t take any credit for where Shelby Emergency Assistance is today, but she can list off name after name of people who helped get the ball rolling.
Her church — University Baptist in Montevallo, which organized just shy of 53 years ago — wrote into their original covenant that they wanted to serve the local community.
McClanahan remembers a group of college students sitting around her dining room table, coming up with some ideas for what that could look like.
“That’s where the idea was born, though I wasn’t a part of that — I just provided the table,” McClanahan said.
But over the years, the idea grew from a church-run clothes ministry to a separate organization that now provides housing, utility, medical and food assistance as well as education to Shelby County residents.
McClanahan and her husband, Bruce, have been among hundreds of volunteers who have helped in different ways over the past half century.
On Aug. 26, that organization — now called Shelby Emergency Assistance — will hold a gala at the American Village to celebrate its 50th anniversary of serving Shelby County.
Brooke McKinley, SEA executive director, said she and others in the organization are proud to commemorate this “significant milestone.”
“For 50 years, SEA has been a lifeline for those in need, and this gala is a reflection of the enduring spirit of compassion and generosity that has made our work possible,” she said. “... We look forward to sharing this evening with our dedicated supporters, partners and the community at large.”
McKinley said she loves the work of SEA, which aims to move Shelby County residents from crisis to self-sufficiency.
“We do direct social services when people find themselves in a crisis — they’ve lost a job, a caregiver, a provider, or they’ve had a medical emergency that makes them be out of work,” she said. “Many people live paycheck to paycheck, and a situation like this throws them into crisis.”
McKinley said SEA is part of United Way and partners with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama to get food at a lower cost. Community gardens provide fresh food in the summer, too.
The organization also has a women’s group called Thrive Together that helps single mothers at the poverty line get one-on-one coaching to set goals for parenting and wellness as well as plan for the future.
McKinley said she’s excited about the gala and how it will both celebrate and support that continued assistance.
“It’s going to be a good time,” she said. “We want to bring in as many people as we can who have been touched by SEA, celebrate everything we’ve been able to accomplish and look toward the future.”
Darrel Weaver, vice president of Healthcare Services at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, will be the guest speaker. During the event, SEA will recognize those who helped found the organization and will also announce the volunteer of the year award.
Tickets are $75 and sponsorship options are available.
For more information about the gala, visit shelbyemergencyassistance.org/gala.
