News You Can Use

Ramsay Football Champions honored with a parade 

• Ramsay High School will celebrate its recent state football championship win with a parade in Downtown Birmingham on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 11 a.m. It should be over by 1 p.m. The parade will start and end in front of Boutwell Auditorium.  

• Parade route:  

• Parade participants will walk west on Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. and head toward 19th Street North 

• Turn left on 19th Street North 

• Turn left on Park Place 

• Turn left on Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. 

• Turn left onto Rev. Abraham Woods 

• End in front of Boutwell 

• Street closings (locations and times)  

• On Thursday, Jan. 19, Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from 19th Street North to 22nd Street North. 

• Short 20th Street will also be closed the morning of Jan. 19.

• Parking at Boutwell and decks next to City Hall 

• Those who use the Boutwell deck between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Jan. 19, will need to access it via the 19th Street North side. 

• Those who park in Parking Deck A next to City Hall via 19th Street North, should expect delays in entering or exiting 19th Street North any time between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The same is true for those using the City Hall parking deck that lets out onto Short 20th Street. 

• Those using these parking decks will need to show their employee ID badge to police to get through any police-monitored intersections around the time of the parade. 

Calling Spoken Word artists! 

• The City of Birmingham presents its Servant Leader Spoken Word Contest. Submit your spoken word recording of a previously authored or original piece to employeeRelations@birminghamal.gov. There is a 2-minute limit and city policies apply to all submissions. For additional information, call 581-3082 or email employeerelations@birminghamal.gov.  

• Contest Timeline 

• Jan. 4-18: Submissions  

• Jan. 19-25: Employee voting  

• Jan. 26:  Outside judging  

• Jan. 27:  Winners announced 

• Jan. 31:  Winners acknowledged during City Council Meeting 

Get healthy in the New Year 

• Birmingham Park and Recreation presents Fitness at the Villa, a free weekly series beginning Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Avondale Villa, located at 4220 Woodvale Road. Here is the weekly schedule: 

• Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Kickbox Sculpt 

• Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Xtreme Hip-Hop 

• Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Line Dance 

• Certified dance instructor LaMesa Brooks offers fitness classes at the city’s North Fitness Center, 421 Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-7 p.m. Offerings include Zumba, Afrobeat Cardio Dance fitness, and  FX'perience Body sculpt and Tone. For more information, call 205-902-9599. 

• Check out this month’s Behavioral Health Systems Newsletter. It includes helpful tips on keeping a New Year’s resolution, staying engaged at work and exercising regularly. See attached. 

UAB’s Alys Stephens offers discounted rates for city employees 

• Check out the following special offers just for CIty of Birmingham employees: 

• Buy 1 Ticket, Get 1 Free for Jazz Sensations Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding. Wednesday, Jan. 18. Scan for offer and use code ESPCITYBOGO at checkout. Tickets are $35-$55. 

• Jazz/Low Country Musicians Ranky Tanky. Thursday, Feb. 23. Scan for offer and use code RANKYCITYBOGO at checkout. Tickets are $39. 

• Meshell Ndegeocello. Thursday, March 9. Scan for offer and use code MESHCITYBOGO at checkout. Tickets $39. 

• For more information, see the attached flyer and go to AlysStephens.org. 

Get your 2023 City of Birmingham wall calendar  

• If you need a calendar, please see the attached digital version or visit the first floor lobby at City Hall and pick one up from Jacqueline Faulkner at the Customer Service Desk.  

Several events planned for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

• For more information about upcoming MLK Day events, go to https://www.birminghamal.gov/mlk-day-events/.  

Nominate a woman for StrongHer 

• Do you know a woman who lives, works, volunteers or attends school in Birmingham and is making a big difference in the Magic City? If so, nominate her for StrongHer, an annual campaign that highlights unsung “sheroes.’’  Honorees will be profiled on the city’s social media pages in March for Women’s History Month. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 20. Send nominations to strongher@birminghamal.gov. Visit www.birminghamal.gov/strongher for more info. 

BFRS shares their annual report 

• Check out Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service’s annual report here: https://sway.office.com/5Bc8HZyKf3BTt51C?ref=email 

Tax services offered in Titusville 

• Titusville Library will host Safe First Tax Services for patrons from January 26 through April 14 (Thursdays and Fridays only). Call 205-322-1140 to reserve your spot.

The Sloss Story to air on APTV 

• Lean about the history of Sloss Furnaces and how it related to the founding of Birmingham in a documentary on Alabama Public Television. It airs on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. Click here for more info: https://aptv.org/series/the-sloss-story/. 

Submit your news to marie.sutton@birminghamal.gov.

News You Can Use: 1-6-2023

Sign up for the MLK Day 5K Drum Run  

Some free entry forms available! 

• The MLK Day 5K Drum Run is a fun and active event to celebrate the MLK Day holiday weekend. Since its 2012 inception in Atlanta, GA, the race has grown to over 2,000 runners/walkers and featured over 200 drummers from metro area schools and groups. The City of Birmingham and the Mayor’s Office is an INSPIRE partner for the 2023 MLK 5K Drum Run ‘TEAM COB’ and has comp forms for seven 5K entries and seven 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk entries. If you would like to participate, please email uche.bean@birminghamal.gov. All entry forms need to be returned via email no later than Friday, Jan. 6. 

Call Spoken Word artists! 

• The City of Birmingham presents its Servant Leader Spoken Word Contest. Submit your spoken word recording of a previously authored or original piece to employeerelations@birminghamal.gov. There is a 2-minute limit and city policies apply to all submissions. For additional information, call 581-3082 or email employeerelations@birminghamal.gov. Submissions are accepted now through Wednesday, Jan. 18. Employee voting will take place January 19-25. Outside judging will be Thursday, Jan. 26.  Winner announced Friday, Jan. 27. 

• The Birmingham Public Library presents Bards and Brews Open Mic 2023. The event will take place on Friday, Jan. 6 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Central Library, located at 2100 Park Place.  It’s free to enter and participate, but attendees must be at least 18 and 21 to drink. Featuring Poet Glenwood. See attached flyer.  

Get healthy in the New Year 

• Birmingham Park and Recreation presents 107 Days to Better Health Kick-off Mixer. Tuesday, Jan. 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Enjoy vendors, wellness screenings, cooking and fitness demos, and door prizes. The event will take place at the Negro Southern League Museum, located at 120 16th Street South.  

• Birmingham Park and Recreation presents Fitness at the Villa, a free weekly series beginning Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Avondale Villa, located at 4220 Woodvale Road. Here is the weekly schedule: 

• Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Kickbox Sculpt 

• Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Xtreme Hip-Hop 

• Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Line Dance 

• Check out this month’s Behavioral Health Systems Newsletter. It includes helpful tips on keeping a New Year’s resolution, staying engaged at work, and exercising regularly. See attached. 

UAB’s Alys Stephens Center offering discounted rates for city employees 

• Check out the following special offers just for City of Birmingham employees: 

• Buy 1 Ticket, Get 1 Free for Jazz Sensations Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding. Wednesday, Jan. 18. Scan for offer and use code ESPCITYBOGO at checkout. Tickets are $35-$55. 

• Jazz/Low Country Ranky Tanky. Thursday, Feb. 23. Scan for offer and use code RANKYCITYBOGO at checkout. Tickets are $39. 

• Meshell Ndegeocello. Thursday, March 9. Scan for offer and use code MESHCITYBOGO at checkout. Tickets are $39. 

• For more information, see the attached flyer and go to AlysStephens.org. 

BFRS shares their emergency incident totals for 2022 

• Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded to 73,007 emergency incidents in 2022. Last year was the busiest in the history of BFRS, which included the following: 

• 200 emergency incidents per day. 

• 1,404 emergency incidents per week. 

• 6,084 emergency incidents per month. 

Submit your news to marie.sutton@birminghamal.gov

BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL: Week in Review Jan 23rd-Jan 29th

Council President Wardine Alexander and Councilor Darrell O'Quinn appointed to prominent committee positions with the National League of Cities

Birmingham City Council President Wardine Alexander and Councilor Darrell O’Quinn have been appointed to national committee positions with the National League of Cities. While serving in these roles, Alexander and O’Quinn will help guide policy priorities and legislative efforts in their respective areas of focus.

UDPATE: Council Approves Several Districts' American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funded Projects

The Council unanimously approved several projects that will be funded through the various district’s federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding — each district was awarded $3 million in federal funds to distribute to various programs and initiatives in their district to aid in the ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts.

Councilor Clinton Woods is utilizing $25,000 from his District 1 ARPA funds for the POWER career readiness program. This curriculum is designed to prepare youth and young adults, ages 16- 24, experiencing academic learning and job training loss due to COVID restrictions for high-demand jobs through workforce education, paid student internships, and eliminating barriers of employment by connecting program participants with employers.

Another ARPA funded program that the Council unanimously approved deals with crime reporting and data collection with the Aspen Institute. Districts 1, 6, 8 and 9 contributed District ARPA funds to help bring this justice and governance partnership to Birmingham — one of only six cities nationwide.

Transportation Committee Receives Update From BJCTA 

On Monday, the Transportation Committee received a report from BJCTA Director Charlotte Shaw, who outlined progress that has been made over the last year and next steps for transit in Birmingham.

The 2023 strategic plan for the BJCTA focuses on several key areas of service: employee engagement, community value, financial growth and customer service.

What's Happening in Education and Outreach at Sidewalk

Sidewalk Salon: TV Writing Fellowship Basics
January 10 | Free | Zoom | 7PM

Our first Salon of 2023 will be an overview of the TV writing fellowship application process. You'll walk away with an understanding of the requirements and deadlines of each program as well as an understanding of what makes a strong application, how you can decide which programs are right for you, and where you can turn for additional resources.

Our speaker is Troy Kelly, 2018 winner of Sidewrite, Sidewalk's screenwriting competition. Troy Kelly is a gay forensic psychologist turned TV writer. He is a fellow of the 2022-2023 Warner Bros.' Writers' Workshop. He writes dark, emotionally-driven dramas about flawed protagonists with unresolved traumas and complicated relationships confronting impossible odds and doing whatever it takes to survive. His passions include training his rescue dog Lucky to be a therapy dog and curating his collection of over 10,000 comic books.

THIS SALON IS VIRTUAL AND WILL BE HELD ON ZOOM.

TV Writing Fellowship Workshop
February 9 | $10 | Zoom | 7PM

Troy will be leading a second course on Writing Fellowships on February 9th via Zoom. This workshop will be tailored to what *you* want to know about the writing fellowship application, work sample, and experience so be sure to come equipped with questions! Participating in January's Salon is not required to attend this workshop.

January Book + Film Club is on Room

Book: Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

"Emma Donoghue's writing is superb alchemy, changing innocence into horror and horror into tenderness. Room is a book to read in one sitting. When it's over you look up: the world looks the same but you are somehow different and that feeling lingers for days."―Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife

Film: Room (2015, dir. Lenny Abrahamson)

"With visual and psychological precision, Abrahamson brilliantly evokes the experience of living outside of everyday reality. " - St. Louis Dispatch

January MAILING Registration Deadline: Friday January 6. 

January PICK UP Registration Deadline: Monday January 16. 

This month's discussion will be guest facilitated by local librarian, Candice Murdock!

Private screening and discussion will take place at Sidewalk Cinema January 25th at 7 PM.

Ending the year with a BANG! - REV Birmingham 2022 Recap

2022 in retrospect: 6 projects that have

created VIBRANCY in Birmingham!

Its been a crazy and wonderful year for the Magic City. Birmingham had the pleasure to host The World Games and has opened many new businesses. There's more to come, but for now lets take a look at the projects we took on this year to help revitalize Woodlawn and Downtown, Birmingham.

Birmingham Holiday Traditions then and now!

Some may recall the Enchanted Forest at the Pizitz or the Christmas light display on 20th street; Birmingham has a rich history and continues to create new traditions. As we take you through a deep dive into the historic holiday seasons, Birmingham is continuing to change to be a more inclusive and vibrant city. Click the link below to learn more interesting historical facts about the Holidays in Birmingham!

Four unique and local small businesses to support this holiday season!

The holiday season is in full swing, and we have the perfect places to not only buy unique gifts but also support the community. We are highlighting four local small businesses that can help you check off some holiday shopping! Not only is shopping locally convenient, but it also helps the environment. These stores take pride in producing higher-quality goods and can be unique gifts to please that picky loved one.

The ultimate 2022 guide for your downtown Birmingham holiday plans!

Downtown Birmingham has more -- ways to celebrate the holidays! The Magic City is the heart of the community and offers many fun, unique, and family-friendly activities for all to enjoy. From the Alabama Theatre's Holiday Film Series to The Nutcracker - make your plans to experience the Birmingham Holiday Magic downtown! We created an interactive calendar of all the holiday events happening in downtown Birmingham. Choosing the Magic City to celebrate Christmas time has never been easier.

APPLY TODAY FOR THE BIRMINGHAM CORPS CAPACITY BUILDERS PROGRAM

Birmingham Corps is actively recruiting for its Capacity Builders Program Cohort 2 thanks to a partnership with AmeriCorps. This paid service-learning opportunity will recruit, train, and develop 10 full-time AmeriCorps members to support local nonprofits working to expand economic and social impact efforts in underserved communities in Birmingham. 

The deadline to submit applications is this Friday, December 30, 2022

Important Update About Garbage Pickup This Week And Next

Important update about garbage pickup this week and next:

In observance of the holiday season, the City of Birmingham offices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Dec. 26 with the exception of police, fire and 911. As a result of these closures, collection for Friday, Dec. 23’s uniform cart routes will occur on this Wednesday, Dec. 21. Collection for the Monday Dec. 26 uniform cart routes will occur on Wednesday, Dec. 28.   

All other regular garbage collection routes will be serviced as normal on their next or following pickup date (i.e., Friday, Dec. 23 collection will be picked up on the next scheduled date of Tuesday, Dec. 27). Recycle collection will remain as scheduled on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

City to open warming station Thursday through Sunday

Birmingham, AL -- In response to temperatures falling below freezing, the City of Birmingham will partner with Jimme Hale Mission and Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex to open a 24-hour warming station to the public beginning 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22 through Sunday, Dec. 25. Those needing warm shelter can come to the BJCC South Exhibition Hall, located at 1962 9th Ave North. Food will be provided. 

We will continue to monitor temperatures to determine hours of operation for the days following Christmas.

City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27 has been canceled.

Per the City Clerk's Office: Due to a lack of quorum, the City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27 has been canceled. The next regularly scheduled meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Plan to Reduce Homelessness 25% by 2025

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 19, 2022

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After Halting Rapid Rise in Homelessness, Biden-Harris Administration Announces Plan to Reduce Homelessness 25% by 2025

Today, the Biden-Harris administration released a federal plan for ending homelessness in America that starts with the ambitious goal of reducing homelessness 25% by 2025. All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness builds on the success of previous plans and will do more than any previous federal effort to systemically prevent homelessness and combat the systemic racism that has created racial and ethnic disparities in homelessness.

“My plan offers a roadmap for not only getting people into housing but also ensuring that they have access to the support, services, and income that allow them to thrive,” said President Biden. “It is a plan that is grounded in the best evidence and aims to improve equity and strengthen collaboration at all levels.”

President Biden encourages state and local governments to use All In, which was developed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), as a blueprint for creating their own plans to prevent and end homelessness and setting their own ambitious goals for 2025.

All In recommits the federal government to strategies that have been proven to work, like “Housing First”—the model of care that treats housing as the immediate solution to homelessness, but not the only solution. Once housed, many people need support to stay housed—from health care and job training to legal and education assistance. This model works because it treats people with dignity, personalizes their care, and recognizes that—without housing—every other aspect of a person’s life suffers.

The release of the plan coincides with the week of Homeless Person’s Memorial Day, which commemorates the people who have lost their life while living without a home. People who experience homelessness die nearly 30 years earlier than the average American and at the average age that Americans died in 1900. All In responds to homelessness like a life-and-death crisis rooted in housing and health problems—not a crime for the justice system to solve.

While homelessness is deadly, it is also preventable. The pandemic proved the power of prevention: The Biden-Harris administration’s response to COVID—including emergency rental assistance for people at risk of eviction and direct cash assistance for most Americans—prevented millions from losing their homes and kept evictions at pre-pandemic levels. All In aims to further fix systems and failed policies in order to prevent homelessness, or the risk of it, long before it happens.

All In was built from the ground up and shaped by public input from more than 500 people who have experienced homelessness as well as leaders, providers, advocates, developers, and other partners from more than 600 communities, tribes, and territories. The plan is based on more than 1,500 online comments and more than 80 listening sessions that told USICH the federal government needs to:

Urgently address the basic needs of people in crisis;Expand the supply of and access to affordable housing and high-quality support;Build better systems to prevent people from losing their home in the first place;Collaborate across sectors, systems, and jurisdictions;Rely on data and evidence that show what works; andInclude people who have experienced homelessness in the policymaking process to dismantle systems that create disparities.

“Nobody—no veteran, no American—should experience homelessness in the greatest country in the world,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, the chair of USICH, which developed All In with 19 federal agencies. “Together, we’ve driven down veteran homelessness by 55% since 2010, showing that we know how to tackle this issue if we all work together. Under President Biden’s leadership, we are going to build on that momentum and drive toward the day when every American has a good, safe place to call home.”

After the Obama-Biden administration released and implemented the nation’s first federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, homelessness steadily and significantly dropped from 2010 to 2016. Since 2016, homelessness has been on the rise. But after two years of unprecedented federal investment, the Biden-Harris administration has begun to halt the rapid rise and now has a plan to reduce homelessness 25% by 2025. According to the 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR)—which reveals the pandemic’s impact on homelessness and was released today by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—582,462 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. That represents an increase of 2,034 people—less than 1% since before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

“Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. After years of steep rises in homelessness and amid historic challenges that included a global pandemic, the data show that we can make progress even under the most difficult circumstances,” said HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, who served as chair of USICH during the development of All In. “We have a long way to go with systems to fix however the Biden-Harris administration’s historic investments represent our commitment to addressing homelessness and the underlying racial inequities. All In is our action plan to speed up the progress.”

In the last two years, the Biden-Harris administration has made unprecedented efforts to end homelessness, which include the White House Housing Supply Action Plan that aims to close the housing supply gap in 5 years; the American Rescue Plan that President Biden signed to deliver one of the largest investments in ending homelessness in U.S. history; and the House America initiative that is on track to find permanent housing for more than 100,000 people experiencing homelessness and add more than 20,000 units of affordable housing into the pipeline by the end of this month. 

Although overall homelessness remained flat from January 2020 to January 2022, unsheltered homelessness—which includes people living in cars and tents—rose by 3%. As homelessness has become more visible, there has been a troubling rise in state and local laws that criminalize and exacerbate homelessness by making it illegal for people without a home to do certain activities in public that are otherwise legal in the setting of a home: sleeping, sitting, eating. All In serves as a more effective alternative to criminalization.

Today, USICH and the White House also announced a new initiative to help cities and states reduce unsheltered homelessness. The 19 federal agencies that make up USICH will work with select state and local governments to accelerate the implementation and effectiveness of strategies to get people off the streets and into homes.

“Housing should be treated as a human right,” said USICH Executive Director Jeff Olivet. “Many Americans ask, ‘Is it possible to end homelessness?’ The answer is, yes, the United States can end homelessness by fixing systems—not by blaming the people being failed by them. With All In, the Biden-Harris administration outlined a set of strategies and actions for doing just that. Now we must scale what works and develop new and creative solutions to build a future where no one experiences the tragedy and indignity of homelessness—and everyone has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable home.”

“The evidence shows that stable housing is essential to health and well-being. Like many health conditions, homelessness is preventable, and I am proud to be part of an administration that acknowledges the power of prevention,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who serves as vice chair of USICH.

USICH will host webinars in 2023—starting in January—to help partners and communities use All In to develop local and systems-levels plans to prevent and end homelessness, set state and local goals to reduce homelessness by 2025, hold the federal government accountable, and learn more about federal programs, strategies, and actions to prevent and end homelessness.

View this news on our site.