Category Archives: Take a moment

Will a village emerge in Norwood?

Pepsi Refresh screenshotSeveral Birmingham-area organizations have turned to national online projects like the Pepsi Refresh project to try to secure funding for projects in recent months. One more has joined the fray in recent weeks. As of this posting it was ranked 152nd; the top two vote getters receive the prize for that month.

The Village, a non-profit ministry started in January 2008, is hoping to win $250,000 from the national program to help the organization secure the former Carraway Medical Center property just north of the city’s central business district – one they’ve been looking at for several months. The property would be turned into a “home and youth center for teens…”

The Village’s executive director, Andy Jenkins, has already asked folks visiting his blog to vote and help spread the word about the grant proposal, which would provide for salaries as well as operating expenses for three months.

The historic hospital complex in question is located amid several residential neighborhoods. These include Druid Hills, Fountain Heights and Norwood, an area that many in the city think will be the next one to see an urban revival.

Area homeowners have told Birmingham City Councilor Johnathan Austin that they oppose such a use of the facility while signs have begun to appear in Norwood voicing concern.

StoryCorps comes to Birmingham in 2011

Story Corps. Omar Omar/Flickr.Yesterday the Birmingham Business Alliance announced via their newsletter that StoryCorps was setting up shop in Birmingham, AL in the near future. The organization’s website currently says that their mobile tour stop will take place from January 6 – 29, though specific details about the location are currently not available.

People interested in participating in the long-running project will be able to make reservations on December 23 at 10 a.m. CT with additional slots becoming available on January 7.

The non-profit organization has been around since 2003 and according to their website, they’ll be partnering with WBHM during their stay in the Magic City. This will be their second stop in the coming weeks in Alabama; they will be in Montgomery starting this Thursday through December 11 as part of their StoryCorps Griot Initiative.

If neither of those dates work for you, this would be a good time to remember that this year’s National Day of Listening is November 26.

Photo: Story Corps. Omar Omar/Flickr.

Meet Pumpkin

Pumpkin. Courtesy of Pumpkin the Dog's BlogPumpkin appears to be a golden retriever/lab mix who’s recently been the lucky recipient of support and caring from across the country.

Birmingham Entrepreneur and Appsolute Genius founder Brian Cauble created a website to help chronicle the journey of this injured puppy that he and his wife discovered last weekend while traveling to the Auburn football game vs. Ole Miss.

Approximately $2,400 has been raised so far to cover medical expenses for Pumpkin, with donations coming as far away as San Fransisco, CA and Milwaukee, WI.

He may even be making occasional visits to Sparkbox Coworking on Southside in the coming weeks as he gets better and begins to look for a new home.

BCRFA Pinked the Galleria last Saturday

If you were at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover this past Saturday (October 2), you can probably say that you were a witness to what could easily be metro Birmingham’s largest ever flash mob event  – all to help raise awareness for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA).

Hundreds of people gathered in the food court at 12 p.m. as notes from Michael Jackson’s Thriller filled the space with many of the people joining in on a performance of the video’s famous dance sequence. The impromptu dance troupe then took off their jackets and sweaters, revealing pink t-shirts with the words “Got Pinked!” written in white across the front, inviting people interested to visit the BCRFA’s official website.

It was the first of several events that the organization is coordinating as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All proceeds raised by BCRFA are used in Alabama at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center as explained on the organization’s about page.

Random Shots: Writing about turnips at Pepper Place

DISCO at Pepper Place. acnatta/Flickr

One of the additions to this year’s Pepper Place Farmers Market is the weekly writing booth being conducted by the Desert Island Supply Company. This past Saturday visitors to the booth wrote pieces about turnips; last week the focus was lettuce.

This new writing center is based in Birmingham’s Woodlawn neighborhood is currently in the process of securing 501©3 status. It’s similar to programs found in Valencia, CA and Austin, TX.

It recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to expand their efforts and this weekend became one of the first organizations to be awarded funds by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham via the Kresge Arts in Birmingham program.

The full list of organizations awarded grants (and descriptions of their projects) is available over on Timetable.

Photo: DISCO Birmingham writing booth at Pepper Place. acnatta/Flickr

Phelps’s son says enough hate as local protest nears

A special report on last night’s Nightline was significant considering what’s scheduled to happen tomorrow morning locally.

Members of Westboro Baptist Church are currently planning to protest during the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. at Briarwood Presbyterian Church (map) tomorrow morning. Those interested in shielding mourners from the protesters will want to check out this Facebook event and share it with those that may be able to attend and help.

One person says that this pattern of hate needs to stop – the son of church founder Fred Phelps.

Nate Phelps spoke with the ABC News program last night about abuse at the hands of his father as a child, the reason why he left home nearly 30 years ago. He also spoke about his opinions on the case before the Supreme Court that will determine whether the fundamentalist church will be allowed to continue protesting at funerals.

One week = Habitat house in Wylam

Habitat home in East LakeThe local chapter of Alabama Power‘s Service Organization announced its participation in the construction of a new Habitat for Humanity home in Birmingham’s Wylam community to start this Saturday, May 1.

The press release points out that the new home will be built to LEED standards by the organization’s Magic City chapter and other partners in less than one week.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham has been extremely busy recently. The photo above shows a home completed earlier this year in Birmingham’s East Lake community. The list of current build projects is available on the organization’s website.

Photo: Habitat house in East Lake. André Natta/bhamterminal.