AMVETS, which is also known as American Veterans, is the most inclusive Congressionally-chartered…read moreveterans service organization open to representing the interests of 20 million veterans and their families. The AMVETS organization has more than 250,000 members nationwide. AMVETS and has a proud history of assisting veterans and sponsoring numerous programs that serve our country and its citizens. AMVETS annually awards scholarships to veterans/active military, their sons, daughters or grand-children. AMVETS National Service Foundation is a proud and dedicated Gold Medal Sponsor of the Special Olympics. AMVETS volunteers from all over the nation are very honored to play a part in this special and rewarding program. AMVETS Thrift Stores offer quality used clothing, household goods and toys at reasonable prices. We have a nice thrift store next door to Post 2018. Each post is made up of Veteran members as well as the Ladies Auxillary which are the mothers, wives, widows, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, stepdaughters and granddaughters of all American Veterans. Sons of AMVETS is a nationwide service organization comprised of male descendants of American veterans and AMVETS Riders which are a dedicated and patriotic group of motorcycle riders who hold true to an unwavering respect for our Nation, our Flag, and our Military past, present, and future. All of these charter members have important roles providing services to our Veteran community. Locally AMVETS Post 2018 has a vibrant community of people who are very active in a number of veteran services and also does other excellent things like the big box of supplies that are being shipped over today, and every month, to children in the Philippines. We are always looking to help out local vets by building ramps, landscaping and lawn care, rides to the VA and doctor appointments and of cleanup and repairs post hurricane Sally. Our local post makes monthly visits to William F. Green State Veterans Home however since Covid we are limited to bringing a truck load of snacks, sodas and some other essentials. We also have some fun along the way, which helps with a little income to support our post activities including cookouts, live music and bingo nights and more. It's a great group of men and women and their families who care and want to be of service. Bottom line: AMVETS' motto, "Veterans Helping Veterans" https://m.facebook.com/amvets2018/ https://amvets2018.org/

I go here often due to a family friend owns a condo and I go here every summer that I am a "normal"…read moreto some of the condo owners. This past weekend was a bad experience in that a couple of younger adults (20-30) were extremely racist and condescending that it threw me off guard. Outside of that, the pool and gym are always open early and close late, there is a guard on duties to ensure safety, and it is EXTREMELY close of a distance to the beach.

Yesterday we were invited to participate in a turtle release, on our section of beach, where our…read more"Share The Beach" volunteer crew does sunrise patrols from May through August. We look for turtle nests, mark and monitor then we count 55 days then return there to nest sit, awaiting the hatchlings to make sure they make it safely down the beach to their life journey. We do that until the very last turtle is welcomed to the world. But yesterday was a rare chance to participate in a rehab release. This female laggerhead turtle's ordeal began this July just down the beach at the Gulf State pier. She had swallowed a fishing hook, and since they breathe through their trachea, required medical attention. Park officers and good Samaritans worked together to her ashore and contact the appropriate folks. Apparently she has hard some tough encounters in her life, she was missing a flipper and her shell was damaged by her tail. She was quickly transported to The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, MS where she got the care she needed to bounce back from her latest trauma. They named her Sequoia, put a chip in her and tagged her so her progress and travels can be monitored. Just 32 days later she was brought back to our Gulf Shores beach so should be released and put back on her journey, and we were there!! She was transported from the main road via a golf cart and she was greeted by all of us who lined a path for her, like a runway, for her last steps on the beach before swimming away. Her crawl is slow, because of the missing front flipper, but once she gets out into the surf there was nothing slow about her :-) She sped off while to applause and well wishes and hopes that she continues to thrive wherever she goes, and maybe, just maybe, we might see her again when it's the me to lay her eggs in the future. Thank you to each and every person who contributed to saving her and making this day possible. Bottom line: Sea turtles are majestic and gentle animals whose population is finally rebounding and it was a really awesome opportunity to help Sequoia go home!! No matter where you are if you spot a sea turtle in need of medical assistance or wrapped up in rope, other debris, or in any kind of stress call the stranding and entanglement hotline: 866-755-6622 (NOAA) "All footage obtained with approval of USF&W under conditions not harmful to this & other sea turtles" Share The Beach https://www.joinacf.org/stb The young lady overseeing the release was wearing a NOAA Sea Turtle Research logo shirt. They do great work, read more about them and about sea turtles here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sea-turtles/ Rehabilitation took place at: The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, MS https://www.facebook.com/InstituteForMarineMammalStudies/ "All footage obtained with approval of USF&W under conditions not harmful to this & other sea turtles"

I'm a volunteer with the "Share The Beach" (STB) effort that patrols our 47 miles of coastline for…read moresea turtle nesting every year since 2018. SBF has origins dating back to 2005 but Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) became its official home in 2018. ACF is really a great group that focuses on coastal conservation issues. They're committed to addressing priority environmental issues throughout the region to preserve and protect our coastal way of life.​ I've lived on and around Cape Cod, MA, southern CA, and now retired on the AL Gulf Coast, and as a scuba diver, sailor, fisherman, and beach lover so coastline, as well as animal preservation is a really big deal for me, too. ACF has forged partnerships and alliances between business, government, and environmental leaders that work together on a variety of projects from recycling, sustainabliy, to water quality issues, restoration and of course, sea turtles. Education plays a big role in what they do, just like the event we hosted yesterday, at a local coastal restaurant, sharing with parents and their children all about sea turtles. They also have educational programs that connects students that interest, inform and inspire these future generations of leaders. Cool! I can highly recommend a great children's book written by one of my fellow volunteers, Linda Spangrud, "Miss Ella and the Turtle People" is a children's picture book about the protection, care, and conservation of turtles and about us volunteers, it's pretty cool. Check out the ACF website and learn more about what this terrific non-profit organization does, about Share The Beach, SE turtles, plus pick up some cool merch, or you can even adopt a turtle, we have :-) https://www.joinacf.org/

From the owner: The Alabama Coastal Foundation is a statewide nonprofit with a mission to improve and protect…read moreAlabama's coastal environment.

I highly recommend this organization for anyone looking to get their GED!! My son struggled with…read moreschool from kindergarten through high school! No matter how many tutors, extra help, special programs he was in, he just struggled to grasp it! But regardless, he never gave up! It was not an easy decision for me to sign him out of school all together, but I now know it was in his best interest! He started this process at a different organization, but they were unsupportive and half the time canceled classes on him. So he decided to go here and within a few short months, he achieved his goal and obtained his GED!!! They were so helpful and supportive of him and helped him achieve this milestone!! I am so grateful to the staff for their service and highly recommend them to anyone looking to get their GED!!

I volunteer at SBLC and they're doing an amazing job of providing free educational services such as…read moreESL, GED, and youth services to our community!

Great place! Everyone was very friendly! Food was delicious…read morefrom red white and food. Great time playing bingo

This is a great spot in Gulf Shores for veterans and open to the public. They have fantastic drink…read moreprices with friendly staff and have a kitchen selling food if you want to eat. They also have lots of activities and events which are very popular. I had driven past this spot many times and kept thinking I needed to stop and check it out and it only took me a few years to finally visit. I wish I would have stopped in sooner as it is a great spot that offers a good value.