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Our Initiatives

FocusFirst

FocusFirst is a game-changer for children’s vision health. Hundreds of thousands of kids suffer yearly due to poor vision, impacting their academics and self-esteem. Early screenings in preschool are crucial, but many miss out due to awareness gaps and financial barriers. Traditional eye charts used in childcare centers fall short, missing vital issues like amblyopia and cataracts. FocusFirst is armed with high-tech screening cameras, it revolutionizes screenings for preschoolers. Efficient, accurate, and accessible, it ensures no child slips through the cracks, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Impact America’s HomeFirst initiative is a financial wellness initiative that empowers individuals and families on their path toward homeownership readiness or foreclosure prevention through personalized financial education and coaching. HomeFirst works with participants to develop broad-based action plans to reach their financial goals. HomeFirst also provides one-on-one support and program referrals for the community. 

HomeFirst

SpeakFirst

Impact America’s SpeakFirst initiative empowers Birmingham-area high school students, fostering academic excellence and college readiness through competitive debate. Talented students from Birmingham-City schools are brought together to form a formidable debate team, competing in tournaments across Alabama and the Southeast. Beyond debate, the initiative offers one-on-one tutoring, mentoring, college guidance, standardized test prep, and youth development activities. Since its launch in 2004, SpeakFirst students have participated in over 100 tournaments, marking a significant milestone in their academic journey.

Where We Serve

Impact America began services in Alabama under the name Impact Alabama in 2004. Although our offices are in Birmingham, Alabama, through the work of volunteers and staff  members, we provide services in all 67 of Alabama. 

While those outside of Alabama primarily know of the state for its Civil Rights history or for its rural footprint, we know it as the place and people that we serve. Alabama is an increasingly diverse state, bringing with it differing needs as well as changing challenges in access to care. In 2024, we are excited to start our third decade of service to Alabama and its people.

Since 2004, we have provided vision screenings for 600,000 children, referring nearly 60,000 on for follow-up care. During these years, we have also prepared over 96,000 tax returns with no preparation cost for the taxpayers. We have been able to accomplish these results through the time and effort of hundreds of AmeriCorps members, staff members, and countless volunteers. 

If you are interested in volunteering, please see our Volunteer page. We would love to have you!