BraveHearts Center for Place and Purpose selected for Belk’s Project Hometown Heroes award

Published: January 28, 2020

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Launched in December 2017, Project Hometown was created by Belk to promote communities, help families thrive and to empower their stores and their associates to make a difference. As an additional effort to acknowledge and support community initiatives in the Southeast Conference, or SEC, Belk also recently created Project Hometown Heroes. 

Auburn's BraveHearts Center for Place and Purpose, or BCPP, was selected as a promising community outreach program with a history of volunteers representing Auburn Athletics. As part of the Hometown Heroes Project, BCPP identified Coach Eysha Ambler, assistant volleyball coach, as BraveHearts local Hometown Hero.

BCPP is a comprehensive health and wellness community inclusion program created by faculty in the social work program to enhance the quality of life for young adults with disabilities facing moderate to severe life challenges. Angie Burque and Danilea Werner designed the program to provide a daily, structured routine that cultivates mind, body and spirit. 

“Coach Ambler spends countless hours supporting BCPP," Burque said. "She asked how she could be involved with BCPP and she followed through and showed up. Not only that, she came with enthusiasm and said, ‘tell us what do we need to do, and we're there.’” 

Ambler said that working with BCPP has had a lasting effect on her.

“To come and work with BraveHearts, it brightens my day just seeing the kids happy and doing things that you don't think they can do," Ambler said. "Just spending time with BCPP will change you." 

BCPP was recognized on field during the SEC Championship game in Atlanta and awarded $10,000 to go toward BCPP’s programming, supplies and outreach initiatives. 

“It has been an honor and humbling to be recognized and supported, especially at such a national level,” Werner said.

BCPP was created in 2016 and is located at the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn. It represents a university and faith partnership and serves as an optimal site for student internships, practicums and volunteer opportunities. If interested in volunteering or donating to BCPP, contact Angie Burque at burquad@auburn.edu or call 334-844-2834. 

To learn more about BraveHearts Center for Place and Purpose, go to https://cla.auburn.edu/cpp/.

Submitted by: Vicky Santos