Photo by Beth Hontzas.
Unless U Executive Director Lindy Cleveland, left, talks with some of her students at the organizations fifth birthday party at Big Spoon Creamery.
Unless U celebrated its fifth birthday with the families of Unless U and its board of directors at Big Spoon Creamery in Homewood on November 4, where the “Founding Fathers” of Unless U led the crowd in the “Happy Birthday” song and Executive Director Lindy Cleveland reflected on all the ways God has ordered their steps and paved the way for their journey.
After some cake and ice cream, Cleveland shared some other exciting things that God has been working on. Unless U is currently in a capital campaign to build their own school in the heart of Vestavia. Cleveland announced that in the new building, the students of Unless U will be employed at an ice cream shop called Unless U Scoops.
“The mission of Unless U Scoops is to provide a safe and fun work environment for the students of Unless U while serving the community with the sweetest of skills that display that we all are ‘more alike than different,’” Cleveland said.
One of the primary goals at Unless U is to provide multiple opportunities to shape and grow their students as a whole. So far, Unless U has been able to provide services for the students to grow academically, socially, physically, and spiritually. However, they have not had the means to serve the students vocationally. These students desire to be employed just like everyone else. Jobs provide purpose, and Unless U wants to give their students the opportunity to wake up every day feeling valued and purposeful whether that be in the classroom, on stage, on the basketball court, or at work.
Thanks to this new partnership, Unless U Scoops will serve the ice cream from Big Spoon Creamery.
“Unless U is so thankful that Big Spoon has caught (our) vision and is willing to be apart of this dream for (our) students,” Cleveland said.
Unless U has officially begun construction on their new school and hopes to move in during the fall of 2020. Their goal is to move into the new building debt-free, and after receiving a donation of $150,000 from Medical Properties Trust, Unless U has raised $1.5 million of their $1.6 million goal.
The new Unless U building will be located at 737 Chestnut Street, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216.
If you are interested in giving to the Unless U Build Capital Campaign, please go to www.unlessu.org.
Submitted by Lindy Cleveland.
