Brightline, Florida’s new hospitality-focused express intercity passenger rail service, is partnering with Talent4Change, a non-profit charitable organization, to sponsor BUZZitFORWARD, a mobile barbershop initiative in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties aimed at working with youth and homeless organizations.
Talent4Change will use its mobile barber shop, the BuzzBoxx, to offer free haircuts and mentorship to underprivileged youth and members of the homeless community who take Brightline’s rail safety pledge or a brief tutorial on rail safety.
Brightline and Talent4Change kicked off the BuzzBoxx Tour recently at the Overtown Youth Center, the Broward Partnership, and as part of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival in South Miami.
“We are thrilled to have Brightline as a sponsor of the BUZZitFORWARD initiative. Their support will help us expand our reach and make a difference in more communities throughout South Florida,” said Amir Youssef, BUZZitFORWARD program creator.
“Everyone knows, when you look good, you feel good and our goal in using tools like the BuzzBoxx is to help equip kids with self-confidence while encouraging them to use that boost to become better, more responsible members of their community,” Youssef said. “Educating them about rail safety is an important element of the program.”
Brightline and Talent4Change will be working with homeless organizations, youth centers and back to school events to host 40 BuzzBoxx activations in South Florida this summer. All BuzzBoxx barbers have been provided mentorship training so that they know how to best address the youth one-on-one, and to provide the encouragement and follow up needed to help them succeed. Educating kids on rail safety awareness will be a key component of the partnership between Talent4Change and Brightline, as Brightline remains committed to equipping the public with the knowledge necessary to stay safe around all tracks and highway-rail grade crossings.
“We are working with a number of community partners on a creative approach to discuss rail safety with members of the homeless community and engage our youth,” said Ali Soule, Brightline’s director of public affairs and media relations. “The BuzzBoxx allows us to provide a quality service and spread our message on rail safety.”
As part of its expanded outreach plan that began in early 2017, Brightline continues to work with Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing incidents near railroad tracks. Brightline’s outreach campaign has included working directly with safety ambassadors at railroad-roadway crossings to educate drivers and pedestrians about rail safety, in addition to hosting trainings for local first responders, increasing Vehicle Message Signs at grade crossings, distributing literature to schools along the FEC Railway/Brightline corridor, running public service announcements in three languages on South Florida’s broadcast and radio channels, and training Brightline team members as Operation Lifesaver volunteers.
Brightline is operating 11 northbound and 11 southbound trips per day connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Guests can purchase tickets at any of the three Brightline stations, on the Brightline app and at www.gobrightline.com.
