First-Ever Youth Day Build Brings Together Atlanta's Future Leaders to Build a Better City

On July 10, 2025, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity hosted its inaugural Youth Day Build, bringing together 75 incredible young people for a transformative day of service and impact. More than just volunteering, the event was a celebration of community, youth leadership, and a shared vision for a better Atlanta.

Volunteers—made up of Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows, Georgia Building Trades Academy, YouthBuild program, and youth from the Mayor’s Scholar Program and Summer Youth Employment Program—were spread across four unique service locations:

• Two new home construction sites, volunteers helped with the finishing touches on homes being completed for future homebuyers.
• A Brush with Kindness site, where teams painted and refreshed the home of a longtime resident.
• Humphries Elementary School, where volunteers sorted and organized the school’s library to help prepare it for the new school year.

A Citywide Effort, Powered by Purpose

The day began with a kickoff at the Atlanta Habitat warehouse, where Mayor Andre Dickens joined partners and staff to offer words of encouragement before the teams headed out.

“I’m so glad we’re getting together... this is a group project because it's going to take all of us together to do what we're going to do today.”

From there, teams fanned out across Atlanta to get to work. At the Brush with Kindness site, NFL Legend Harry Douglas picked up a paintbrush alongside the youth volunteers, modeling leadership through service. Meanwhile, Freddie Falcon made his way to every site throughout the day—spreading joy, high-fives, and lots of laughter to homeowners and volunteers alike.

Throughout the day, youth volunteers learned valuable skills, heard from community leaders and homebuyers, and experienced firsthand the power of working together toward a common goal.

“Your presence here today is an example of the exact community we aspire to create,” said Rosalyn Merrick, President and CEO of Atlanta Habitat.

Powered by Partnership

The Youth Day Build was made possible thanks to the generous support of Wells Fargo, whose $75,000 donation helped launch this citywide initiative and provided the materials, tools, and resources needed for success as well as the Atlanta Falcons and the City of Atlanta.

More than homes, something even more powerful was built: a sense of connection, responsibility, and pride among Atlanta’s next generation of leaders.

At Atlanta Habitat, we believe that young people are not only the future—they are key to creating lasting change today. This Youth Day Build was a powerful step toward deepening youth engagement in affordable housing and community development.