NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Local youth development-focused nonprofits Son of a Saint and Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) are teaming up to host and facilitate a #HashtagLunchbag service initiative on Sunday, Nov. 21. The team activity will help support the members of our community currently experiencing homelessness and food insecurity by providing meals and positive interactions. Son of a Saint’s mentees, mentors, and staff will join YEP mentors and mentees for a day of service, collaboration, and connection.
“Community service programming like #HashtagLunchbag is just one of the ways we inspire our mentee participants to give back and show them the meaning of paying it forward whenever we can to uplift our New Orleans community,” says Son of a Saint Founder and CEO Bivian “Sonny” Lee III. “Partnering with our friends at Youth Empowerment Project should serve as a great example of how peer organizations throughout our region can come together to amplify impact.”
“YEP and Son of a Saint are both committed to empowering young people to improve their lives and the lives of others,” says Melissa Sawyer, YEP’s Co-Founder and CEO. “On Sunday, we are actualizing this collective commitment, by creating the opportunity for our young people, volunteers and staff to come together, build relationships, and positively contribute to the community.”
The #HashtagLunchbag program is a nationwide humanity service movement, originally established in California. The initiative was designed to create and use bagged lunches, complete with love messages, as a vessel to spread love and share positive experiences to inspire others.
WHAT: Community service event in which Son of a Saint and Youth Empowerment Project mentors/mentees will gather and assemble more than 300 brown paper bag lunches for members of our community experiencing homelessness.
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m.
WHERE: The YEP Youth Center at 1529 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA.
