Page 2..………………………Holiday Giveaway Page 4………………….…….Halloween Celebrations Page 6………………………..Race for the Cure
OCTOBER/2019 Randall L. Woodfin, Mayor Galvin Billups, Executive Director
1608 7TH AVENUE N | BIRMINGHAM, AL 35203 | PH: (205) 320-0879 | FAX: (205) 297-8139 | www.bhamyouthfirst.org
UPCOMING EVENTS October 3-5 , 2019
October 5, 2019
October 11-13 & 17-31
October 19, 2019
October 31, 2019
47TH ANNUAL GREEK FESTIVAL
DISTRICT 8 PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
BOO AT THE ZOO
HARVEST FESTIVAL
11:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Ensley Park
5:00 p.m. —9:00 p.m.
UAB FOOTBALL VS. OLD DOMINION HOMECOMING
10:30 a.m.—10:00 p.m.
Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral For more info: (205)-716-3088
For more info: CLICK HERE
DYS Accepting Applications for Birmingham Promise Apprenticeship The City of Birmingham is connecting talent to opportunity with the launch of the 2020 Birmingham Promise Apprenticeship Program. Birmingham is dedicated to promoting 21st Century Workforce Development systems for the youth in the city. The Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services (DYS) is now taking applications from Birmingham City School students interested in connecting to highwage apprenticeships. Students can apply for the 2020 Birmingham Promise Apprenticeship.
The Birmingham Promise Apprenticeship Program aims to
Birmingham Zoo
For more info: www.birminghamzoo.com
Legion Field For more info: https://uabsports.com/ index.aspx?path=football
help students develop highdemand skills through paid work experience in four industries: finance and insurance, healthcare and life sciences, energy and engineering and digital technology. The goal of the program is to develop pathways to quality jobs through hands-on learning in the workplace. The following criteria must be met for a student to be eligible to apply for the program:
Student must attend a Birmingham City High School Student must be a high school senior Student must have a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) Student must complete the Promise Apprenticeship Application Packet Application Current Resume Two Recommendation Forms Essay with a minimum of 250 words and no more than 500
Birmingham City Hall & Linn Park 5:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m. For more info: (205) 320-0879
Applications are available online at www.bhamyouthfirst.org. Students can fill out the online application and upload supporting documentation and submit online. Students may also print the attached application and fill it out by hand. Those applications will be accepted at the DYS office located at 1608 7th Avenue North in downtown Birmingham, September 23, 2019 – October 23, 2019. Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. For More information about the Birmingham Promise Apprenticeship Program, contact DYS at (205) 320-0879.
DYS Announces its Holiday Giveaway Registration Date October 24, 2019
AAA Harvest for the Homeless October 9, 2019 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Volunteers will meet and work in the Bruno Vegetable Garden to help prepare for the Fall Plantings. All produce harvested is donated to the Community Shelters in downtown Birmingham, helping to feed the homeless and food insecure population in the Greater Birmingham Area. Volunteers may work in a different garden under the mentor-ship of our Master Gardener volunteers if the Bruno Vegetable Garden does not need work. You will be contacted ahead of time if the garden work changes whenever possible. For More Info: https://uwca.givepulse.com/ event/139460-AAA-Harvestfor-the-Homeless
The City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services (DYS) is pleased to announce its Holiday Giveaway Registration Date. The act of giving is important throughout the year, but the act of giving peaks significantly during the holiday season. To help create happy holiday memories for hundreds of less fortunate Birmingham youth, DYS created the Youth First Holiday Giveaway Campaign.
HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY REGISTRATION DATE Thursday, October 24, 2019 **9:00 a.m. until capacity is reached** Registration can be completed at the DYS office located at 1608 – 7th Avenue North in downtown Birmingham.
Program Guidelines: Youth must reside in the City of Birmingham. Household must qualify as low-tomoderately low-income, based on State of Alabama Income Guidelines. Only up to two (2) youth per household. Children must be 10 years old or younger.
Homeroom With Mayor Woodfin Mayor Randall Woodfin made a promise to Birmingham seniors this fall. Mayor Woodfin visited each Birmingham City high school to talk with students about the Birmingham Promise Apprenticeship and Scholarship programs. The Mayor fielded questions from the inquisitive seniors. DYS helped conduct the visits with Birmingham City School Principals and counselors. Applications for the Apprenticeship Program are now available.
Mayor Woodfin speaks to students at Jackson Olin High School about the Birmingham Promise
To register, you must bring the following: Proof of residency (state issued ID or driver’s license with address listed) Birth Certificate(s) for the child(ren) you are applying for Proof of your income (pay stub, proof of public and/or government assistance, or a printout from the State Unemployment Office) (Special Note: DYS collaborates with other local organizations that provide holiday assistance. We do this to avoid duplication of service. If your child(ren) will be receiving assistance through another program, please leave the DYS registration process open for other youth who have not yet received help for the holidays) DYS’ Youth First Holiday Toy Giveaway Campaign assists Birmingham youth who live in low to moderately-low income households, shelters, and residential living facilities by providing toys for Christmas. Local news affiliate CBS 42 and America’s First Credit Union are dedicated partners in this initiative. For more information about the Holiday Giveaway Campaign 2019, call DYS at (205) 320-0879.
Looking to Serve Others Tracey Young takes her work in the classroom very seriously. The P.D. Jackson Olin High School Senior is in the top 5 in her class. She one day hopes to purse a career in either social work or criminal justice. In addition to studying hard, Tracey is also a member of the P.D. Jackson Olin Choir, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and Future Community Leaders of America. She hopes to take that same drive and passion with her to Albany State University in Georgia. As for her passion for social work, she says, “I have dealt with a friend who had trouble in her home and I was there to help her along the way, so I want to be the one to help other kids out of their troubled homes.” You may also recognize Tracey from the Fox 6 Kids and Jobs Draft show earlier this year. She was nominated by her principal to represent her school in the annual competition. Tracey is an outstanding and kind student who always seems to have a smile on her face. We certainly wish her well on her future endeavors. Tracey Young, P.D. Jackson Olin Senior
Go Blazers
Family fun!
Board a vintage train for an Autumn ride
UAB Homecoming
Neverland Carnival
October 19th Legion Field Time TBD
October 6th Birmingham Children’s Theatre 1:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m.
Pumpkin Patch Express
It is homecoming week at the University of Alabama at Birmingham! UAB Blazers take on Old Dominion University, October 19, 2019, at Legion Field.
Join Birmingham Children’s Theatre’s for their annual Neverland Carnival! Featuring some of your favorite characters from the land where you never have to grow up, the Neverland Carnival promises to be an afternoon of games, crafts, rides, carnival food and tons of prizes!
Lots of fun awaits at the Pumpkin Patch as you visit the Great Pumpkin, take a hayride, bounce in the inflatable bounce house, and participate in other family activities! Search our pumpkin patch to find your perfect pumpkin!
For more info: http://www.uabsports.com
For more info: http://www.bct123.org/neverland-carnival/
October 1st—31st Heart of Dixie Railroad
For more info: https://www.hodrrm.org/
City of Birmingham Hosts Harvest Festival October 31, 2019 Birmingham City Hall & Linn Park 5 p.m.—8 p.m.
The City of Birmingham invites you to join us for the 2019 Harvest Festival on October 31, 2019, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. This year’s festival will be held in front of Birmingham City Hall on Short 20th Street and Linn Park. Harvest Festival is a safe alternative to trick-or-treating for youth ages 2 – 12 years old. This year’s theme is all about Toy Story. Children will explore a fun house that helps them find the hero inside of them, realize their self- worth and learn to be a good friend. This FREE event also features carnival rides, games and a candy lane. Youth are encouraged to wear costumes. Food trucks will also be on hand for food purchases. Individuals and organizations that would like to volunteer or get involved, please contact the Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services at 205-320-0879 to learn how you can assist.
Birmingham’s Division of Youth Services, Feed the Children and PepsiCo Join Forces to Feed Bodies, Minds and Futures
To register, you must bring the following: • State issued ID or driver’s license • Proof of residency (deed, lease or utility bill) • Proof of your income (pay stub, proof of public and/or government assistance, or a printout from the State UnemployThe City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Ser- ment Office) vices (DYS), in partnership with Feed the Children and PepsiCo, is pleased to announce its FEED CARAVAN Registration Date. FEED CARAVAN is a food and essentials distribuFor more information about FEED CARAVAN, call DYS at tion event serving hundreds of families in the Birmingham (205) 320-0879. community. Each registered family will receive: a 25pound box of food, a 15-pound box of essentials like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and personal-care items, a 5-pound box of AVON products, children’s books from Disney Publishing Worldwide and additional products provided by PepsiCo and Piggly Wiggly. FEED CARAVAN REGISTRATION DATE October 10, 2019 9:00 a.m. until capacity is reached Registration will be held at the DYS office located at 1608 7th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35235 Participation Criteria: Families must reside in the City of Birmingham and have at least one youth living in your home. Program targets low to moderately low-income households. Families may only register once.
Don’t Miss the Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo October 11—13 October 17—31 5:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m. Birmingham Zoo
Make your Halloween plans all month long in October with the Birmingham Zoo! Prepare for over the top fun during our 28th annual Boo at the Zoo presented by Wells Fargo! Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions, costumed characters, themed rides and carnival games for 18 nights! Experience the excitement on Henley Park with a new ride attraction, Spidermania*! Meet, greet and take photos with superhero Marvel* characters and enjoy a new twist to the ghostly Ghoul School performance at the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital Wildlife Stage. Listen and be entertained by nightly Bat Keeper Chats. Meet members of the animal family with close encounter Animal Greetings in the Hugh Kaul Plaza and at the Children's Zoo Barn. Boogie down at the Monster Mash dance party and so much more! For more information visit: www.birminghamzoo.com
OCTOBER FALL FESTIVALS
October 21st FALL FESTIVAL 2019 More Than Conquerors Faith Church 6:00 p.m. | All Ages (205) 322-2644
October 23rd WILD WEST FALL FEST Sixth Avenue Baptist Church 6:00 p.m. | All Ages (205) 251-5173
October 29th HARVEST FESTIVAL The Bridge (Faith Chapel Christian Center) 4:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m. | All Ages (205) 380-2990
October 31st FALL FESTIVAL 16th Street Baptist Church 6:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m. (205) 251-9402
October 31st TWC’S FALL FESTIVAL The Worship Center—Derby Parkway 5:00 p.m. | All ages (205) 451-1750
October 31st HALLELUJAH NIGHT Hopewell Baptist Church – West End 6:00 pm—8:00 pm | All ages (205) 923-0203
Get Free Cash for College: Apply Now for FAFSA
01 Birmingham Oktoberfest
October 5th @ Railroad park Birmingham’s Biggest German-Themed Party! Put on your lederhosen and join Birmingham Oktoberfest! Enjoy German food, live music, and an abundance of games and Oktoberfest themed activities! For More Info: CLICK HERE
02 Magic City Fried Chicken Festival
October 20 @114 14th St S, Birmingham, AL The Magic City fried Chicken Festival is a open air competition & festival that brings food, music, family and the community together in celebration of the classic Southern dish For More Info: CLICK HERE
03 Tricks, Treats & Trails
October 25th @Samford University Wright Center
Experience director Ivan Reitman's two-time Oscar® and two-time Golden Globenominated film, screened live as the Alabama Symphony Orchestra performs Elmer Bernstein's Grammy-nominated score and Ray Parker Jr.'s Billboard Hot 100 chart topping theme song, "Ghostbusters." Bring your proton pack and join the original paranormal investigation! For More Info: CLICK HERE
The new 2020–21 FAFSA form is here! These forms are for the 2020–21 award year (which runs from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021). Some states and schools have limited funds, so don’t delay! To begin your application, CLICK HERE to be taken to the FAFSA homepage. When there select the “START HERE” button or download the myStudentAid app for iOS and Android. Go ahead and apply for FAFSA now to avoid missing some critical deadlines when applying for college.
1. The College Deadline
The first type of deadline comes from colleges themselves, and—spoiler alert—it’s typically pretty early. If you’re applying to multiple colleges, be sure to look up each school’s FAFSA deadline and apply by the earliest one. If you’re worried about gathering information to complete the FAFSA form in time to meet this deadline, don’t be. You can apply beginning now!
2. The State Deadline
The second deadline is determined by your home state. You can check your state’s deadline here. Many states have limited funds, so their FAFSA deadlines may be quite early. Many of these states with limited funds award financial aid funds only until they run out, so the sooner you apply, the better your chances.
3. The Federal Deadline
This last deadline comes from us, the U.S. Department of Education. The 2020–21 FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2021 because that’s the end of the 2020–21 school year. For more federal student aid information and outreach tools visit: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa
Take a Child & Teen to the Doctor Day
The City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services wants to thank every one who helped make Take a Child and Teen to the Doctor Day a great success. Dozens of children received free health, vision and dental screenings through our generous partners. Doctor Day focused on providing uninsured or underinsured youth with care all while in a festive carnival-like atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who helped make it a success! Take a Child to the Doctor Day September 9, 2019
MAGIC CITY CLASSIC ACTIVITIES McDonald's Magic City Classic Parade October 26th 8:00am Downtown Birmingham ———————— 78th Annual Magic City Classic October 28th Kickoff 2:30 p.m. Legion Field
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. It is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and according to the breast cancer foundation about one in eight women in the United States will get breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
mammograms and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.
Susan G. Komen 2019 Race for the Cure October 12th Railroad Park Race starts at 8:00am!
The Race for the Cure is an energetic and uplifting event that provides thousands of women, men and their families the opportunity to get involved and make a difference within our local community.
The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. A mammogram, the screening test for breast cancer, can help detect the disease early on. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Make a difference! Spread the word about
National Bullying Prevention Month Take the “U” out of Bullying October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Do you remember hearing "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?" Research shows that this age-old saying simply isn’t true. Often, the physical impact of bullying (the “sticks and stones”) is easy to recognize. However, bullying often impacts our children in ways that aren't so obvious. While words don’t physically injure, they do still hurt, and can cause emotional harm.
detection, raise funds for local breast health services, programs and research and helps serve as a powerful, visual annual reminder to get a mammogram.
The Komen North Central Alabama
Register at
Race for the Cure is a unique 5k walk/ http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR? race event, designed to encourage fr_id=7832&pg=entry public dialogue about breast cancer, deliver breast health messages, promote the importance of early Verbal and emotional bullying, such as teasing and social exclusion, as well as physical bullying, have the potential to negatively impact a student’s overall health, along with their sense of wellbeing.
In support of efforts to stop bullying, The City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services (DYS) has available to parents and teachers the Knowbull Film and tool Kit.
The KNOWBULL FILM & TOOL KIT provides teachers and parents with information, discussion questions, and resources to help start an insightful dialogue with young people about the seriousness of bullying. The toolkit is meant to be interactive and The Birmingham City School System is informative to help “take ‘U’ out of buladdressing bullying through its Bullying lying!” Prevention Program. BCS recently adopted the Jamari Terrell Williams For more information on KNOWBULL Student Bullying Prevention Policy. contact DYS at (205) 320-0879 Read more about it on BCS website.
Wenonah High School Students ask Mayor Woodfin questions about the Birmingham Promise
Above: Students at Woodlawn High School prepare to listen to Mayor Woodfin discuss Birmingham Promise Below: Mayor Woodfin addresses students at Huffman High School
Students at Ramsay High School listen attentively to Mayor Woodfin discuss Birmingham Promise
Above: Mayor Woodfin addresses students at P.D. Jackson Olin High School Below: Mayor Woodfin address students at Carver High School