United Way United Way & Mobile Baykeeper Team Up for Coca-Cola’s Serve Your City Initiative
United Way of Southwest Alabama (UWSWA) in partnership with Mobile Baykeeper participated in this year’s Coca-Cola #ServeYourCity2016 initiative, a National Day of Service.
On Saturday, February 20, 2016, volunteers from across the region worked with various community organizations to make a difference insouthwest Alabama through three local volunteer opportunities. The service project that received the most volunteer pledges was awarded a $2,500 grant sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated (CCBCC). We are proud to announce that UWSWA, with the help of Mobile Baykeeper, received just under 100 volunteer pledges, garnering the most of the three service projects in Mobile.
“We were excited when Coca-Cola reached out to us to participate in their volunteer initiative here in Mobile,” said UWSWA President and CEO Clifford Grimes. “Since volunteerism is a call-to-action for both United Way and Coca-Cola, it seemed natural to participate in this project with Coke. We decided to partner with Mobile Baykeeper in order to better leverage resources and impact Mobile in ways not typically available to us.”
Good health is the foundation for being a productive citizen with a better quality of life. As such, UWSWA endorses healthy behaviors, including participating in physical activities to help increase fitness and reduce obesity. By realizing the importance of outdoor spaces for community health, UWSWA decided to partner with Mobile Baykeeper, who believes environmental protection and restoration are the key to a thriving economy, healthy community and high quality of life. 
“Trash is more than just an eyesore,” said Mobile Baykeeper Executive Director Casi Callaway, “it can contaminate drinking water and threaten the lives of the people, plants and animals who depend on it. The multiple health benefits provided by parks and outdoor spaces, such as mental health, stress reduction, and increased physical activity, are negated when those areas are heavily polluted. Clean parks provide direct contact with nature and a cleaner environment for our community to enjoy.”
Since its founding in 2014, the CCBCC #ServeYourCity2016 initiative has inspired generosity around the world, resulting in greater volunteer hours and activities that bring about real change in communities. Last year, more than 2,700 people came together to serve their communities.
About United Way of Southwest Alabama
United Way of Southwest Alabama (UWSWA) serves Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile, and Washington counties. Created in 1926 as a Community Chest, UWSWA’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the community. The vision of UWSWA is to strengthen communities by focusing on uniting and mobilizing resources in support of the building blocks for a better life: education, financial stability, health, and essentials. UWSWA has raised and invested into our community more than $245 million to help strengthen its capacity for positive community progress. Many of the issues that affect our community are addressed by funded programs and initiatives that help more than half a million local people each year. For more information, visit www.uwswa.org.
About Mobile Baykeeper
Mobile Baykeeper is a community organization that provides citizens a means to protect the beauty, health and heritage of the Mobile Bay Watershed, Alabama’s waterways and coastal communities. Founded in 1997, Mobile Baykeeper has evolved from a staff of one and membership of 300 to a full-time staff of eight supported by more than 4,500 members today. Through research, education, and collaboration, Mobile Baykeeper works to ensure that all citizens have access to clean water, clean air, and healthy communities.
About #ServeYourCity2016
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated has a long history of reaching out to those in our communities who are most in need. We seek to be agents of change by empowering CCBCC employees and the general public to make a positive, sustainable difference in their local areas. By pledging their time, talents, and treasures, volunteers participating in #ServeYourCity2016 will come together to make a difference in their local communities. To learn more about #ServeYourCity2016 organizations and volunteer opportunities, please visit www.coca-colaserveyourcity.com.