Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – An annual art and fashion show that sheds light on the struggles of youth aging out of foster care will return this fall with a night of creativity and community support.

Second Shift, a Shelby County nonprofit that supports young people transitioning out of foster care, will host its sixth annual Swag the Bag fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 14, from 5:30–9 p.m. at the Shelby County Arts Council in Columbiana.

The event, which coincides with Homeless Youth Awareness Month, features a unique art and fashion competition where participants design one-of-a-kind creations made from trash bags.

“Swag the Bag reframes the iconic trash bag ‘luggage’ of foster care into something fun and fabulous,” said Tammy Spence, founder and executive director of Second Shift. “By turning trash bags into art and fashion, we want to send the message to youth in care and to the community that no one is disposable. There is unseen value and potential in each child in care.”

Spence noted that about 65 percent of older youth who leave foster care do so without housing, putting them at immediate risk of homelessness. The fundraiser helps Second Shift continue its mission of mentoring, teaching life skills and providing connections for foster youth as they work toward independence.

In addition to the fashion show, attendees will enjoy dinner, a silent auction and live entertainment featuring magician Brian Reeves, American Idol’s Isaiah Moore and Nashville recording artist Brittany Moore.

Spence said the event is both a celebration of creativity and a call to action. “The foster care to homelessness pipeline is a straight shot,” she said. “We want to change that trajectory.”

Tickets for Swag the Bag 2025 are available at Secondshiftalabama.org.