The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), in collaboration with other local organizations, will encourage youth to take a stand against big tobacco companies and educate their peers about the importance of not smoking on Kick Butts Day, Wednesday, March 20.

Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism which empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against big tobacco companies. Health officials want to raise awareness of the tobacco problem, encourage youth to stay tobacco-free and urge strong action to protect kids from tobacco.

Representatives from the health department will be at the following locations on Wednesday, March 20, to distribute information and tips on smoking cessation:

• Benjamin Hooks Library
3030 Poplar Ave.
10 a.m. to noon

• University of Memphis-University Center
499 University
1 p.m.

March is shaping up to be quite a busy month for Youth United! The Spring 2013 Build kicked off on March 8, and Youth United members from Bolton National Honor Society were onsite lending a hand. More Youth United members will volunteer in the coming weeks. Check out photos from the first two build days at www.facebook.com/memphishabitat.
 
The next Youth United meeting will be Thursday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at 8185 Pine Valley Lane in Germantown, the location of Yard Sale. This will be a working meeting, as we will be working to prepare for the Yard Sale. We'll be pricing, organizing, making signs and other general setup, so we'll need all hands on deck!
 
Our next fundraiser is the Youth United Yard Sale, which will be held on Saturday, March 23 from 7 a.m. to noon at 8185 Pine Valley Lane (at the corner of Pine Valley Lane and Kimbrough) in Germantown.

The man at the center of  the Academy Award winning documentary "Undefeated" spent Saturday morning inspiring supporters of the Mid-South non-profit HopeWorks. 

Bill Courtney professed his love for his hometown of Memphis and then challenged the crowd to get involved with making change here.  

Courtney gained fame after leading the Manassas Tigers to a winning season, following years without any wins at all.  A documentary crew captured the season and won an Oscar in 2011 for Best Documentary.   

Now, Courtney is using his notoriety to spread a message of hope. He pointed at listeners and instructed that service precedes leadership, that you must "serve" before you can become a good leader.   

Specifically, he said many people see a problem and ask why someone else is not doing something about it. 

His question of the morning was, "what's wrong with you?"  Referring first to the challenges facing kids at Manasses, as depicted in "Undefeated" and, then to recent much-reported shootings involving local children, Courtney's message was the same.  Mid-Southernors must ask themselves what role they are playing to create change. 

He told the group that everyone must get involved to help the "weakest among us."