Youth Engagement at I AM ALS – Ways Young People Can Get Involved
Start a Club
Starting a club is a great way to get involved and raise awareness for ALS! If you’re unsure about where to start, reach out to julie@iamals.org.
Empathy Dinner
Instructions:
1. Get a group of people together for dinner.
2. Collect slings, wheelchairs, walkers, whiteboards, etc. to help participants with their disabilities.
3. Make dinner (we recommend spaghetti!).
4. When participants arrive, give them a sticker ALS symptom that they will be acting out for the night.
5. Towards the end of dinner, have everyone go around and share what they found challenging/learned from the experience.
Download a full toolkit for hosting an empathy dinner: https://www.iamals.org/host-an-empathy-dinner/
Make a Library Campaign
Each year I AM ALS volunteers work with libraries across the country to create a Lou Gehrig Day/ALS Awareness campaign. Check it out and learn more: https://sites.google.com/view/2025-als-awareness-library-cam?usp=sharing
Legislative Involvement
Find your representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Use this template for emailing legislators to get them to join the ALS Caucus!
Fundraising Inspiration
Fundraising is a critical part of the work of any nonprofit. Here are some fun ideas to raise money:
- Bake sale
- Ice bucket challenge
- Basketball tournament