YBLA Impact Report
2024 - Q3
A Message from The Martins
Greetings Everyone,
It’s hard to believe we’re already approaching the last quarter of the year! The third quarter was certainly impactful, and we’re so excited to share some of the highlights with you.
We completed our second house build, blessing another single mother in Belize. The key ceremony was truly special, and it was heartwarming to share that moment with our college and young professional leaders. For the first time, we had Love Ambassadors, wonderful supporters of YBLA, who helped us raise the funds to make this house a reality.
In August, we kicked off the month by celebrating our Jr. Ambassadors at Blazers Ceremonies. Our ATL and CLT Jr. Ambassadors earned their blazers for completing the first year of the program. It was incredible to witness them proudly donning their new blazers while their parents shared in their joy and accomplishments.
Also in August, we traveled to L.A. for our second Global Leadership Forum (GLF) with our Young Professionals (YoPros). Our team took 23 YoPros with us to connect with our sponsors at Accenture, who hosted us in their corporate space and provided hands-on training in design thinking. From that training, our YoPros created impactful videos sharing positive messages about Black excellence, which we’ll be posting on our social media soon. The theme of the GLF was all about networking with other leaders and producing content that highlights Black excellence.
On that note, we’re also excited to announce a special project — a 4-part “Founders Series” where we we’ll share how we build leaders at YBLA. This series will showcase our leadership pipeline, from high school to college and young professionals, and take you behind the scenes of our signature events such as the Blazers Ceremony, Scholar Day, Service Trip, and GLF. Please follow our series on social media, as it will lead to a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT we'll be making in the fourth quarter. Stay tuned!
Lastly, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Accenture for their incredible hospitality in LA and for investing in our YoPros by teaching them creative ways to develop content. LA was truly inspiring, and we’re grateful to everyone involved. We also want to thank all of you for your continued commitment to our mission.
Building Leaders,
John & Tammy Martin
YBLA Founders
Leaders Making an Impact
70 People Served this Quarter
YBLA Serves Belize
276
Hours Served
70
People
Impacted
140
Meals Delivered
200
Toys Distributed
Watch our Key Handover Celebration in Belize!
Our staff, College Ambassadors, and sponsors traveled with us to hand over the keys to YBLA House #2. Thank you to Belize's News 5 Live for featuring our team and God Cares Outreach.
Blazer Ceremony
YBLA's Blazer Ceremony marks a key transition for YBLA's Jr. Ambassadors as they step into their roles as Sr. Ambassadors.
This year, 56 Ambassadors from Charlotte and 24 from Atlanta participated, celebrating their growth and readiness to lead and serve at an even higher level.
YoPro Global Leadership Forum
In August, the YBLA YoPro Global Leadership Forum in Los Angeles provided a truly transformative experience for our young professionals. We are deeply grateful to Sony Pictures Entertainment, Accenture, and SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park for their generous hospitality and the invaluable opportunities they offered.
During the forum, our young leaders received training in design thinking, which enabled them to create videos highlighting positive Black excellence—soon to be featured on our social media channels.
We’d like to extend a special thanks to Stacey Evans Morgan for coordinating an exclusive tour of Sony Pictures, organizing a panel of industry creatives to share their experiences, and arranging a stunning all-white soirée at the McIntosh Estates. Stacey’s efforts made our time in LA a truly memorable experience for our YoPros.
Sponsor Highlight
Thank you to Accenture for supporting YBLA this quarter.
Accenture provided incredible hospitality in L.A., where they graciously hosted us in their corporate space. They provided hands-on training in design thinking, investing in our Young Professionals (YoPros) by teaching them creative and innovative ways to develop content.
A special thank you to Peyton Watson, Babila Fomuteh, Dana Montgomery, and Damon Watts for their invaluable help in setting up the event, and to the LA Accenture team for facilitating the Design Thinking Workshop. Your support was greatly appreciated!
