reposted article: The Call newspaper--August 2, 2023

By ARTHUR L. MACK

The Sand Town Community Action Group will host its inaugural back-to-school and community event Saturday in which school supplies, backpacks and books will be given away.

The event, organized in conjunction with the Mobile County Health Department, Stand Up Mobile, Goodwill Gulf Coast and Mobile City Councilmember Gina Gregory, will be held at the Spring Hill Fire Station at 700 Museum Drive from 9 a.m. until noon. Health screenings for children and adults will also be available along with raffles, vendors and entertainment.

The Sand Town community is nestled within the Spring Hill area, near Municipal Park, and is considered one of the oldest African-American communities in Mobile, according to Alonzo Yelling III, president of the Sand Town Community Action Group. “According to the (U.S.) Census, we go back to at least 1845,” Yelling said. “It was always a very proud community and a very resourceful community. That doesn’t mean we were an affluent community but we were a resourceful community. We took care of each other.”

Yelling said the event will also honor Sand Town’s ancestors as well as give back to the community. “I’m an educator, so I know what it means for a student to not have,” he said. “Fortunately, most of our schools are able to provide materials for the students to use at school but that does not mean they have everything they need at home. We pooled resources, got some donations and we hope to serve at least 300 students.”