After experiencing the loss of two siblings at early ages, Birmingham resident Alexander Boone Jr. imagined all the possibilities they could have explored through giving back in the community.
Boone’s sister, Ingrid, passed away when she was just a toddler and his brother, Steven, passed when he was a young adult.
“Steven spent most of his years as an athlete,” Boone said. “Ingrid never had an opportunity to explore her talents and skills.”
Because his siblings’ time on earth was cut short, Boone said he felt compelled to ensure other youth have every opportunity to succeed in life and give back in their communities. He established the Steven Ingrid Boone Youth Foundation (SIB) to help youth engage in positive activities and experiences to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Through his nonprofit, Boone equips youth with the tools and resources they need to become leaders in society. Turning youth into active participants in their community is at the core of his work, and his efforts inspired his own son, Alec Boone, to become a “Kid CEO” of his own nonprofit initiative in 2022.
“I started SIB in the memory of my siblings when I imagined all of the possibilities that they could have explored, but did not have the time to do so,” Boone said. “SIB works to build positive character, self-worth, community service, and model citizenship in youth. Our programs also bring together the constructs of athleticism, academics and leadership to assist youth in their journey toward ultimate success.”
SIB’s two leading community outreach programs are Nonprofiting Kids and Conflict Resolution, Excellence, Empowerment, and Determination (CREED), which both serve as the foundation for much of the work his organization does in communities, Boone said.
CREED teaches conflict resolution, team building, and skill development while incorporating athletic training, sportsmanship and competitive play as a method of communication. Boone’s 8-year-old son, Alec, is the founder of Nonprofiting Kids, which donates care boxes and personal hygiene products to individuals in need.
“We have seen the most success with Nonprofting Kids,” Boone said. “Alec directs this social cause initiative while encouraging other kids to also get involved in collecting and donating hygiene products in their communities. We encourage children ages 2 to 13 to start their own community service and social impact businesses. Our hope is that we are helping them to understand the importance of community service at an early age while facilitating a feeling of positivity, community engagement and community involvement.”
Nonprofiting Kids’ personal care boxes and hygiene products are distributed mostly in Alabama’s Black Belt counties, where the organization have assisted more than 700 people.
“We want to provide this service to those who are less likely to have access to hygiene products,” Boone said. “Through the Nonprofiting Kids initiative, we have distributed more than 9,000 items to those in need across the state of Alabama. This does not include the number of care boxes distributed locally.”
Small businesses such as Aspen Dental and other nonprofits are major supporters of the Nonprofiting Kids initiative, Boone said.
“Most of our funding comes from individuals and small business donors,” he said. “Beyond finding sponsors, our biggest challenge is raising awareness about the initiative.”
This summer, Boone and his son launched new community events to increase awareness about Nonprofiting Kids, including information booths featuring Alec and basketball events to bring more visibility to the outreach initiative.
“We hope to have our Nonprofiting Kids initiative known across the country within the next three years,” Boone said. “It’s our goal to also increase our social media engagement to spread the word about Nonprofiting Kids while encouraging kids to continue to ‘do good’ and to start their own social impact projects.”
How to get involved?
Follow Nonprofiting Kids on Facebook and Instagram and follow SIB on Facebook. If you are interested in becoming a Nonprofiting Kids sponsor, you can make a donation online. To contact SIB or Nonprofiting Kids, email info@sibyouthfoundation.org.
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