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Operating as usual

Play ball.
03/25/2023

Play ball.

03/24/2023

‼️ The application for the 2023 Fox 6 Kids and Jobs program is now open through April 14 ‼️

Kids and Jobs was designed to introduce Birmingham’s youth ages 14-24 to the workforce and cultivate their professional growth!

Students must reside within Birmingham city limits to apply. Visit BhamYouthFirst.org for more information and to apply!

03/24/2023

G.W. Carver High School drum major and student leader Gustavo Garcia Perez has been awarded the Princeton Prize in Race Relations in Alabama for 2023.

In recognition of this award, Gustavo will receive a $1,000 award and an invitation to attend the Symposium on Race at Princeton University where he will have the opportunity to meet Princeton Prize winners from across the United States.

In addition to earning the distinction of the first Hispanic Drum Major at Carver High in 2021, Gustavo raised just under $65,000 for blood cancer research during the 2021 Lymphoma and Leukemia Society Student of the Year Program. In the same year he helped make recycling more accessible to his peers by serving as a leader on the school's Altec Innovation Challenge Team and YouthServe School Changemakers Council that won $10,000 to launch the school's recycling program.

🎥: Courtesy of Birmingham City Schools

03/24/2023

(3/24, 7:30am):⚠️Severe Storms Remain Possible Tonight through Saturday Morning: We're expecting a somewhat broken line of severe storms to enter western & northwest Alabama as early as 10pm, where greatest concern for tornadoes & damaging winds exists. Severe chances decrease farther east & southeast by Saturday morning.

03/24/2023

Bulk trash and brush collections were completed in the following communities on Thursday, March 23:

--South Side District
Riley
Southside
Garden Highlands
11 Loads for 52.86 Tons
5 days behind

--East End District
Spring Lake
8 Loads for 37.69 Tons
On Schedule

--Ensley District
Roosevelt City
17 Loads for 99.50 Tons
1 day behind

--North Birmingham District
Acipco-Finley
5 Loads for 31.35 Tons
2 days behind

The following communities are scheduled to be serviced on Friday, March 24:
Rising-West Princeton
Overton/Oak Ridge Park #2
Roebuck Springs
Huffman
Ensley 1 & 2

Amanda Keller lost her father to HIV-related complications during her senior year in high school in 2003. He was 57. In ...
03/24/2023

Amanda Keller lost her father to HIV-related complications during her senior year in high school in 2003. He was 57.

In the last six months of his life, she learned things about him that had never been discussed, including his sexuality.

Keller's father never spoke openly about his sexual identity, nor did he feel supported in accessing LGBTQ+-affirming resources such as testing or healthcare for HIV. Because of this, his HIV diagnosis went untreated, and his opportunity to live a long, healthy life was cut short.

Keller felt deeply committed to reducing HIV stigma in communities and first connected with Birmingham AIDS Outreach as a volunteer. A few months later on Dec. 1, 2009, which happened to be World AIDS Day, Keller joined the staff of BAO, which works to enhance the quality of life for people living with HIV and AIDS. In 2014, she became the founding director of the Magic City Acceptance Center, which was a new LGBTQ+ youth program of BAO to provide a brave and radically inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community in Alabama.

The organization has served more than 1,830 LGBTQ+ youth since opening nearly nine years ago. MCAC first worked with those 13 to 24 years old. Today, MCAC serves the community as a fully-fledged LGBTQ+ center through multiple programs available to all ages.

"It was really important to me that people have access to a space where they can have conversations without stigma or shame," said Keller, 38, of Birmingham.

She said that her work at MCAC has allowed her to honor her father’s memory by providing an inclusive space for individuals to receive affirmation and support as well as access to LGBTQ+-inclusive resources and services.

For more information about the Magic City Acceptance Center, visit www.magiccityacceptancecenter.org.

Birmingham is defined by its art, culture, food, and music. Join Mayor Woodfin and some of Birmingham's most talented ta...
03/23/2023

Birmingham is defined by its art, culture, food, and music. Join Mayor Woodfin and some of Birmingham's most talented taste-makers as they discuss what moves them and moves Birmingham forward.

We'll see you Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on 94.9 FM WATV.

03/23/2023

Bulk trash and brush collections were completed in the following communities on Wednesday, March 22:

--South Side District
Crestwood South
Highland Park
19 Loads for 95.53 Tons
7 days behind

--East End District
No communities completed (still in Spring Lake)
12 Loads for 53.18 Tons
On Schedule

--Ensley District
Green Acres
19 Loads for 108.43 Tons
1 day behind

--North Birmingham District
North Birmingham
12 Loads for 75.74 Tons
2 days behind

The following communities are scheduled to be serviced on Thursday, March 23:
Riley
South Side
Spring Lake
Roebuck Springs
Roosevelt City
Acipco

On a recent Saturday afternoon during a life skills training session for children in foster care, a student stood up and...
03/23/2023

On a recent Saturday afternoon during a life skills training session for children in foster care, a student stood up and prayed.

He blessed the food, and he thanked God for sending somebody who cared.

The prayer moved Dr. Martha Bouyer, executive director of My Father's House Foundation, which hosted the training and luncheon. "When that little boy prayed,... it just blessed me," Dr. Bouyer said. "I'm encouraged that what we are doing is a great work."

My Father's House Foundation works with older children in foster care who are in group homes for emotional issues or other reasons. Once a child graduates from high school in Alabama and "ages out" of foster care, that child will have to leave their group home. Depending on the circumstances, 21 years old is the maximum age to "age out" of foster care in Alabama. But many of the students that My Father's House works with, "age out" at 18.

My Father's House starts training foster care children around age 13 in the group homes to prepare them to maneuver life in the real world after foster care.

On the day the student said the prayer, My Father's House volunteers were teaching students how to budget, how to understand the cost of living, etc. In April 2023, they will teach students how to catch the bus, read a bus schedule and read a map, so they will know how to get to appointments, go to work, etc.

"Group homes are doing a great job," Dr. Bouyer said. "But what we do is also critical in helping them to move on. We know that according to state and national guidelines, these are things that every child in (foster) care should know before they graduate."

The Birmingham-based, non-profit organization was founded in 1997 after Dr. Bouyer and her former pastor, the late Bishop Don E. Bush at the Body of Christ Deliverance Ministry, saw a need for the service. Fellow church members pitched in to help.

Dr. Bouyer said a future goal of the organization is to build a transitional life skills campus for the students they serve, so the students can move into campus housing and then into a campus apartment before eventually moving out on their own.

"The name of the organization reflects what I want all youth to feel when things aren't going well, and that they can come home and find what they need at The Father's House," Dr. Bouyer said.

My Father's House stresses the importance of securing a high school education and exposes students to what's possible after graduation, whether that's college, trade/vocational school or work. They take students on tours to the University of Alabama, which has a program for students in foster care. (If a child in foster care attends a state college or community college in Alabama, the state will provide up to $5,000 a year per student for four years, according to the Alabama DHR website.)

My Father's House also provides college book scholarships, attends a student's graduation, and hosts a prom for the juniors and seniors in the group homes they serve. "I often say that My Father's House is like my rent for being on the planet," said Dr. Bouyer. "I'm trying to help somebody make a difference, and I think God is pleased when we reach out beyond our comfort zone."

At this time, My Father's House has six board members, and they are all female. The girl power is not lost on Dr. Bouyer.

"When we first started, we only served girls. When boys in care heard about the program, they wanted to join," Dr. Bouyer said. "We serve, on average, 30 to 42 young people each month. All of the women serving on the board or as volunteers see these teens as ours. We are doing all that we can to help them thrive and survive after an extended stay in foster care."

Other public service efforts that Dr. Bouyer handles include serving as the executive director of the Historic Bethel Baptist Church Community Restoration Fund, which raises money to restore the church that the late Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth led during the civil rights movement. She appeared in a Birmingham-produced documentary about Shuttlesworth in December 2022.

For more information on My Father's House Foundation, visit myfathershousefoundation.org.

Our weekly look at year-to-date public safety stats, courtesy of the Birmingham Police Department.40 fi****ms recovered ...
03/22/2023

Our weekly look at year-to-date public safety stats, courtesy of the Birmingham Police Department.

40 fi****ms recovered last week

353 fi****ms recovered year-to-date 2023

449 fi****ms recovered year-to-date 2022

Look who flew into City Hall today! Thanks to Birmingham Squadron's Commander for stopping by and hyping us up.
03/22/2023

Look who flew into City Hall today! Thanks to Birmingham Squadron's Commander for stopping by and hyping us up.

03/22/2023

**Bulk trash and brush collection update**
Bulk collections were completed in the following communities on Tuesday, March 21:

--Southside District
Redmont Park
17 Loads for 96.01 Tons
8 Days Behind

--East End District
No communities completed (Still in Spring Lake)
8 Loads for 40.43 Tons
On Schedule

--Ensley District
Grasselli Heights
East Brownsville
11 Loads for 56.43 Tons
5 Days Behind

--North Birmingham District
No communities completed (Still in North Birmingham)
7 Loads for 44.72 Tons
2 Days Behind

The following communities are scheduled to be serviced on Wednesday, March 22:
North Birmingham
Green Acres
Spring Lake
Roebuck Springs
Crestwood South

Shecovia "Coco" Moore was never professionally trained to be a makeup artist, but her friends liked the way she worked. ...
03/22/2023

Shecovia "Coco" Moore was never professionally trained to be a makeup artist, but her friends liked the way she worked.

Early in the morning before she reported to her part-time job at a real estate company, Shecovia Dismuke Moore saw clients in her home. Then, when she got off work, she saw more clients.

The owner of the real estate company saw something in Moore that she didn't see in herself at the time: She should make her side gig her full-time gig.

After she had worked at the real estate company for 11 months, he helped Moore see her destiny in November 2017.

"He called me in for a (job) review and said I was working harder at his dream than I was at my own," said Moore, 32. "He said, 'You don't need this job.' And I said, 'I do.'"

"He really kind of gave me a push. He said he didn't fire me, but he pushed me to my purpose."

In February 2018, Moore opened the doors to her business, Coco Moore Makeup. Opening weekend, she made enough money to cover her first month's rent.

"It was mind-blowing," said Coco, a 2008 Huffman High School graduate. "How in the world did I go from being unsure to feeling like this is definitely attainable, and I can actually do this?"

Since opening, Moore has become a go-to makeup artist. She's hosted beauty summer camps for girls at her studio, taught classes to Birmingham teenagers and adults, participated in a community service day at a shelter, created a beginner makeup guide and launched a makeup line.

Her makeup line has grown from lashes and lip colors to a summer 2023 release of new foundations, powders, concealers and even more lip colors.

In 2022, Young Entrepioneers named her the top makeup artist in Birmingham. In 2023, Young Entrepioneers released its list of nominees in various categories, and Moore has been nominated again as Top Makeup Artist in Birmingham. She also has nominations for Entrepioneer of the Year and Top Beauty Expert in Birmingham. (Voting was under way at the time this story was released.)

"I have a saying: 'Do it scared,'" Moore said. "Everything may not look like what you want it to look like, but you have to do something while you are not in that place to get to the place you want to be."

"Your faith has to be big, too. You cannot move without it."

For more information Moore's company, visit cocomooremakeup.com.

03/21/2023

**Bulk trash and brush update**

The following neighborhoods were completed on Monday, March 20:

--Ensley District
Germania Park (North)
West Goldwire
Tarpley City
Central Park
18 Loads for 90.26 Tons
3 Days Behind

--East End District
No Communities Completed (Still In Spring Lake)
4 Loads for 23.03 Tons
On Schedule

--Southside District
Forest Park
7 Loads for 41.79 Tons
7 Days Behind

--North Birmingham District
Collegeville
Harriman Park
6 Loads for 47.08 Tons
1 Day Behind

The following neighborhoods are scheduled to be serviced on Tuesday, March 21:
North Birmingham
Crestwood South
Redmont Park
Spring Lake
Roebuck Springs
Grasselli Heights (Up to Spaulding Street, Everything West of Spaulding Street will be collected with Hillman.)

In 2014, a group of women was planning a baby shower for a single mother when they started discussing what mothers reall...
03/21/2023

In 2014, a group of women was planning a baby shower for a single mother when they started discussing what mothers really need. Diapers became a popular topic.

This led to one of the women asking if there was a diaper bank in Birmingham. They did some research and discovered there was not one. In 2015, Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank was born. Lindsay Gray was one of its founding members.

"It's one of those things parents don't feel comfortable talking about. They don't want people to know they don’t have enough diapers for their babies," Gray said. "They are embarrassed because, often times, they fear being judged."

But Gray, 38, said there's nothing to be embarrassed about when needing diapers. They are expensive and a necessity. Her organization works to remove any stigma. They also work to provide period products to those in need.

"With each care package we distribute to support families, we just want them to know their families’ needs matter," she said.

When Bundles of Hope started, Gray was a labor delivery nurse at a Birmingham hospital. In 2018, she saw a bigger opportunity to serve women in this community setting. She left her nursing job of 10 years to run Bundles of Hope full time. The nonprofit distributes about 20,000 diapers a month from its downtown Birmingham office they call The Changing Station, which is located at 1430 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. Through its 65 community partners, it distributes another 100,000 diapers a month.

Not only do people pick up diapers from Bundles of Hope, but the organization donates diapers to drives. When the City of Birmingham hosted a drive for Selma storm victims in January 2023, Bundles of Hope donated diapers and hand-written blessings.

"We do hand-written cards every month to over 2,500 households. It's a different saying to encourage families in their care-giving journey," Gray said.

There are several ways people can get diapers. They can visit the diaper bank's Birmingham office for Walk-In Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., check out Bundles of Hope's community partner distribution sites or get them from the group's mobile unit that delivers to some families who are unable to make it to pick-up locations.

Recently, Bundles of Hope established a three-month door delivery program with DoorDash for first-time mothers to receive diapers, wipes and period products as well as information on infant safety, early childhood education and postpartum depression screening in three kits. That program is in partnership with the Women Infants and Children (WIC) office and the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (HICA), who both help identify clients who could benefit from a home delivery service.

"My nursing background keeps me super focused on the client. The families come first," Gray said. "You have to think about what their needs are and meet them right where they are."

For more information on Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank and their partners, visit bundlesdiaperbank.org.

Night life.
03/21/2023

Night life.

03/20/2023

**Bulk trash and brush collection update**

Bulk collections were completed in the following neighborhoods on March 18:

--East End District
Roebuck
Pine Knoll Vista
23 Loads for 97.71 Tons
On Schedule

--Southside District
No Communities Completed. (Crews are still in Forest Park)
16 Loads for 117.80 Tons
7 Days Behind

--North Birmingham District
Norwood
12 Loads for 78.52 Tons
2 Days Behind

--Ensley District
No Communities Completed. (Crews are still in Central Park)
15 Loads for 106.96 Tons
4 Days Behind

The following neighborhoods are scheduled to be serviced on Monday, March 20:
Central Park
Tarpley City
Collegeville
Forest Park
Crestwood South
Spring Lake
Roebuck Springs

Award-winning producer and director Aija Penix knows Birmingham has talent, and she's working on projects for the world ...
03/20/2023

Award-winning producer and director Aija Penix knows Birmingham has talent, and she's working on projects for the world to know, too.

In 2022, she received a 2022 Sidewalk Film Festival Black Lens grant, which she will put toward a three-day development workshop in Birmingham for Black filmmakers this fall.

It will work like this: writers and local talent will gather in one room to work on Penix's pilot. Actors will be the voice for the characters. They will work through scenes and ideas to get to a finished product.

Once the project is complete, Penix will pitch it as far as she can go. Her dream networks are Netflix and HBO.

"Birmingham has a ton of screenwriters and playwrights who don't have opportunities to write on a series or a pilot, so I want to use the talent here," said, Penix, 34, who lives in Five Points South. "Birmingham is full of talent."

Producing, acting and directing are not new to Penix.

In 2012, she starred on the ABC show, "Nashville," as a background singer for actress Connie Britton's character. Penix was on the show for five years, traveling back and forth to Birmingham.

In 2017, she produced her first film project.

In 2019, she co-founded the Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective. Today, she is the group's chief artistic partner.

Also in 2019, BBRTC presented the play, "Choir Boy," which featured Birmingham talent. It swept awards, including winning "Best Musical and Play of the Decade" in 2020 from Broadway Regional Awards.

But Penix and BBRTC are not done. In 2023, BBRTC will develop a play series for online radio. The first production will be "A Raisin in the Sun," starring Penix as the wife of the main male character. Penix is also developing a new production for young audiences called "Afro Tales," with Carlton V. Bell II.

"Birmingham has been good to me, and I try to be of service to Birmingham," said Penix, who is also an artist in residence with Birmingham Children's Theatre, and has worked with Motown Records/Capital Records, Amazon Prime, Red Mountain Theatre and others as a producer and director.

"I say it all the time: Nashville raised me, but Birmingham made me."

To apply to be considered for the writers' room workshop Penix will host in August 2023, send emails to [email protected]. For more information on the BBRTC's Afro Tales, visit https://www.thebbrtc.com/legacyseason.

Photo credit: Grace Smith

Address

710 20th Street N
Birmingham, AL
35203

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(205) 254-2000

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