CDF-Southern Regional Office’s ‘A Celebration of Joy’ will recognize four Alabama women for their contributions to advancing the well-being of young people in the Huntsville area and across the state.
Media Contact: Oleta Fitzgerald, OFitzgerald@childrensdefense.org, CDF-Southern Regional Office Executive Director, 601-953-5792; John Henry, jhenry@childrensdefense.org, CDF Media Relations Manager, 708-646-7679
HUNTSVILLE, AL—On Thursday, Children’s Defense Fund-Southern Regional Office (CDF-SRO)—the local arm of the national child advocacy organization—will host “A Celebration of Joy,” honoring Alabama changemakers, while uplifting community and reflecting the spirit of hope, resilience, and collective action for young people.
At the event, CDF-SRO will present its Advocate for Joy and Samuel Halperin Youth Public Service awards to four Alabama residents who have dedicated their lives to advancing the well-being of young people.
Alabama State Representative Laura Vandiver Hall as well as Gloria Batts and Bobby A. Bradley, cofounders of the local family advancement center, Village of Promise, will each receive CDF-SRO’s Advocate for Joy award. Rep. Hall, who has served Huntsville residents in the state legislature since 1993, spent more than 40 years in education, serving as an administrator at Calhoun Community College and teacher at J.O. Johnson High School. Batts and Bradley have worked to address the needs of children and families in northwest Huntsville neighborhoods through their work at Village of Promise, helping local youth successfully transition through their education and into sustainable careers.
Date & Time: Thursday, May 28, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Roundhouse | 398 Monroe Street NW, Huntsville, AL, 35801
The Samuel Halperin Youth Public Service Award will be presented to Homewood native Sarah Johnson for her exceptional contributions to youth advocacy. A student-athlete at Oglethorpe University, Johnson mentors young Black girls through her work with the Birmingham-based organization, Girls Aspiring with a Purpose. Originally launched in 2015 by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), the Samuel Halperin award honors the legacy of its founder, for whom it is named. CDF acquired AYPF in 2023.
CDF VP & Chief Operating Officer Sheri A. Brady, CDF-SRO Regional Director Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald, and CDF Board of Directors Chair Rev. Dr. Don Darius Butler, who also pastors The Concord Fellowship of Huntsville, will make remarks at the event.
“We want to bring together young people, families, local advocates, and all our supporters to recognize the immense power of community-centered work and how it has been used to uplift the voices of young people in Alabama and across the South,” Fitzgerald said. “CDF’s commitment to the southern region means working toward a future where every child growing up in the South does so with dignity, hope, and joy. Our honorees work tirelessly to ensure Alabama’s young people thrive, and their efforts help make our vision a reality. For that, we at Children’s Defense Fund-Southern Regional Office are forever grateful.”
Since 1995, CDF—through the work of the Southern Regional Office—has brought together faith leaders, community organizations, advocates, youth leaders, and public officials to create lasting change for children and families across the South. CDF-SRO has advanced policy reforms, expanded access to affordable childcare, increased children’s enrollment in healthcare programs, and secured critical funding to support student success. Most recently in Alabama, CDF Board Chair Dr. Butler charted a bus for local advocates and faith leaders to join civil rights activists for the All Roads Lead to the South demonstration to protect voting rights. CDF has also helped hundreds of children and young people in Huntsville and Birmingham avoid summer learning loss through the CDF Freedom Schools® program.