Community on the Rise

08/26/2026

We 🩵 you forever, Dolly.

Dolly understood something we believe deeply around here: where you begin does not get to decide where you end.

Dolly always made room for humor and heartbreak. Grit and tenderness. Ambition and generosity. And she never seemed to believe that becoming more meant leaving other people behind.

So we made her a little something.

From discarded plastic, transformed into something new.

07/30/2026

A year ago, Michelle was beginning to rebuild her life.

Today, she’s helping tell Birmingham’s story.

During the second year of Community on the Rise’s Wellness & Housing Opportunity Linked to Employment (WHOLE) program, every woman survivor steps into a leadership project that builds her skills, strengthens her resume, and contributes something meaningful to our community.

Empowering Birmingham Through Their Eyes is Michelle’s project, and it couldn’t be more fitting. Through conversations with local leaders, she’s highlighting the people shaping our city while using one of her greatest gifts: making people feel seen, valued, and celebrated.

If you know Michelle, you know she has a beautiful way of giving people their flowers. 🌼 We can’t wait to watch this project grow and to see Birmingham through her eyes.

Healing isn’t just about getting back on your feet. It’s also about discovering that your voice has something important to offer others.

Stay tuned…we’ll be launching Michelle’s first interview with Alanah Melton, Director of Unhoused Strategies for the City of Birmingham, very soon!✨

07/25/2026

Just admiring a few of our favorites lately…✨♻️🩷

07/18/2026

Three years ago, we took a chance on an old house.

We’re not home renovators. (Though this project certainly taught us a thing or two!) What drew us in was the opportunity to create something much bigger: a safe, beautiful, affordable home where a woman who had survived homelessness could begin building equity, stability, and a future through homeownership.

Living in the midst of an affordable housing crisis often means that homelessness is followed by years of housing uncertainty. A safe, stable place to live is life changing. And ownership? Ownership builds equity. It creates a legacy that can be passed on to future generations.

This July, our first graduate reached an incredible milestone.

She’s officially halfway to owning her home! 🏡🩷

That moment didn’t happen overnight. It took years of hard work, trust, accountability, savings, and determination. She earned every step. We are so proud of her!

And this renovation wasn’t social media magic, either. It took fundraising, grants, skilled builders, generous partners, and a community that believed this dream was worth investing in. We remain deeply grateful to the Holle Foundation, the Birmingham Association of Realtors, SRD Properties, and every person who gave their time, resources, and encouragement to make this possible.

In early 2027, another graduate will walk through her front door and begin her own journey toward homeownership.

And we can’t wait to do it all again. And again. And again.

🤍 If this story gives you hope, please share it. If you’d like to help create the next opportunity, you can donate using the link below. Every gift helps another survivor move from simply having a place to live…to having a place to call her own.

https://donorbox.org/donate-to-community-on-the-rise

07/08/2026

According to Junebug, our resident Bernese Mountain Dog, a volunteer day is all about ear scratches, interesting smells, and exceptionally kind humans.

According to us though, volunteering is about something even bigger: understanding, vision, and belonging. When you visit and volunteer with us at Community on the Rise, you’ll meet survivor staff expanding Birmingham’s recycling options by transforming #5 plastic into beautiful products. You’ll learn about our ID Recovery Program and the barriers people experiencing homelessness face when they can’t access basic identification. You’ll help us sort and prep plastic. You’ll even join us around our table for a compassion-focused discussion.

And you’ll get to know our amazing, resilient community.

Come spend a morning with us. You’ll learn something new, have incredible conversations, and if Junebug happens to be in the office that day… there’s a very good chance you’ll earn a five-star review yourself. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Send us a message to schedule a volunteer day for yourself, your church, your workplace, or another group. We’d love to have you!

07/02/2026

06/30/2026

New ID ✔️ 🪪

Unexpected commissioned artwork ✔️🎨

Michele’s client surprised her with this portrait while waiting for her ID Clinic appointment yesterday.

It’s a beautiful reminder that the people who come through our doors should never be defined by what they need or their current circumstance. They are artists, creators, caregivers, problem-solvers, neighbors, and dreamers, each carrying gifts, talents, and stories that deserve to be seen.

Sometimes restoration looks like recovering an ID.

Sometimes it looks like someone feeling safe enough to create. (Thanks, Michelle❤️)

And sometimes, in the middle of an ordinary Monday both happen at the same time. ❤️

06/29/2026

🎬❤️ Come look at love with us.

This Tuesday, we’re continuing our exploration of love through bell hooks’ powerful book, All About Love. Together, we’ll ask a provocative question:

What if we’ve been calling the wrong thing love?

📍 Community on the Rise
🗓️ Tuesday, June 30
⏰ 10:00 AM

From Romeo & Juliet to The Summer I Turned Pretty, Ted Lasso, Encanto, and more, we’ll explore how some of our favorite stories take on new meaning through bell hooks’ definition of love.

Which slide surprised you most? Which story made you see love differently?

And before today… had you ever heard the word cathexis?🤔 Share thoughts with us in the comments!

06/26/2026

MEET OUR TEAM! We are small but mighty. We are creators. We are community builders. We are survivors!

We are so thankful for our staff of dreamers, thinkers, & doers, - a group of mostly amazing survivors - determined to keep Community on the Rise growing, believe in people, and fight poverty with innovation!

06/23/2026

An ID card is a small piece of plastic.

But for someone experiencing homelessness, it can be the key that opens almost every other door.

On Mondays, Community on the Rise hosts our Walk-In ID Clinics to help recover identification documents, connect people to resources, and spend time listening to the stories behind the paperwork.

Today, We:
• asked questions.
• celebrated victories.
• heard hopes for the future.

One participant shared that what they wished people knew about them was:

✨ “I’m a great artist.”

Another shared:

✨ “I’m a nice person.”

Because people are always more than the circumstances they’re facing.

Today, $455 in recovered documents helped move people one step closer to housing, employment, healthcare, and stability. And we’ll do it again next Monday, and the next.

Thank you to everyone who supports this work. Every ID recovered is more than a document. It’s access, opportunity, and a reminder that every person deserves to be seen. ❤️