Bham Family - January 2021

JANUARY 2021

KIDAPPROVED, HEALTHY RECIPES

PAGE 10

Etiquette classes help develop manners, character PAGE 14

RisingUP Nonprofit serves homeless families across the city PAGE 20

January events at Ald ridge Gardens

P runing for Form

Sp ring Plant Sale

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 6-8PM

You’ll find Snowflake Hydrangeas, patented by Eddie Aldridge, along with Oakleaf Hydrangeas, Annabelle and her offspring, Hydrangea paniculata varieties, and beautiful French Hydrangeas, native azaleas, herbs, wildflowers, pass-along plants, native trees and bushes, and more, all hand-picked to succeed in this area.

How to NOT commit crepe murder Learn how to correctly prune crepe myrtles and other shrubs and trees. You will hear, see, and be able to practice under Rip Weaver’s expert encouragement.

Please bring your own pruners! A popular class, so sign up early online. $20 AG members, $25 non-members.

Coming this spring!

Visit aldridgegardens.com for dates and info!

(205) 682-8019 | aldridgegardens.com 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover

2 Bham Family January 2021

Specializing in children’s wear gifts & accessories

Offering shoe fitting appointments and curbside service Keeping you safe with CURBSIDE PICKUP! Downtown Homewood on 18th Street Sikes - (205) 879-3433 Jack N Jill - (205) 879-7681

What is Myopia?

Myopia is nearsightedness. Nearsighted eyes are usually too long, which makes far away objects seem blurry. Just like feet get bigger and children get taller, the nearsighted eye gets longer over time, and children often need stronger glasses every year as their eyes continue to grow. Myopia tends to grow between ages 7-18 My Child already wears glasses or contact lenses. Why control myopia?

Controlling myopia only prevents it from getting worse, as it can’t be cured. When the eye becomes more myopic, a person is at greater risk for serious complications like cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachments. These serious conditions cannot be fixed with glasses or contact lenses, so preventative measures are critical.

Facts About Myopia • Myopia grows at a rate of 0.50D per year – enough to need new glasses • Myopia is associated with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachments • For about 75% of children, myopia progression will stop by age 18 What are my choices for myopia control?

• Corneal Reshaping Contact Lenses. Similar to braces or a retainer from an orthodontist, these are worn at night to change the cornea’s shape so the patient can have clear vision all day without vision aids. They slow myopia down by bending light.

• Soft Bifocal Contact Lenses. These lenses, usually worn by those age 40+ to help with distance and near vision, are also shown to help slow down myopia.

• Atropine. Using this eye drop once a day helps to slow down the progression of myopia.

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EDITOR’S NOTE As we stuff the tangled Christmas lights away that we promised we would properly store this time (there’s always next year, right?), the New Year is often a time for resolutions and beginnings. And after the year we’ve all had, some positive changes are more than welcome.

Whether you’re looking to improve your family’s health, quality time together, manners, or ways you give back to the community, we’ve got you covered in this issue.

With a 2-year-old who will “eat when she’s hungry,” as the doctor keeps reminding me, I understand the struggle to find healthy snacks and meals for even the pickiest of eaters. To take some of the pressure off of you, we’ve put together some easy, kid-approved recipes on pages 10 and 11.

If you don’t feel like whipping up a healthy meal at home, check out Greenhouse in Homewood, featured on page 13. This fast-casual salad and sandwich joint has dishes for the whole family that you won’t regret eating — unlike that fourth slice of your grandmother’s pecan pie.

Healthy eating is a popular topic as we start the new year, but don’t forget about other parts of your life that need just as much attention. In Just for Dads on page 25, you’ll see the importance of creating memories with your children. As someone who played in the marching band for more than eight years, I especially like the story Ward shares in this month’s column, so be sure to check that one out.

Somewhere your child is sure to make great memories — while also improving their manners and character — is in Amy Rainer’s etiquette class, seen on pages 14 and 15. She’s found a way to turn what’s often seen as an outdated, stuffy practice into something fun that also helps build the children’s self-esteem.

With the New Year, you can also find ways to build up and support the people in need around you. Community on the Rise, featured on pages 20 to 22, works with people struggling with homelessness and poverty.

They help people around Birmingham find housing, employment, healing, educating, and hope. Read the article to see how you can get involved.

Speaking of ways to give back, four Oak Mountain High School seniors did just that by creating The Cool Cat Club. You can read about how they support cancer patients and try to bring smiles to their faces on page 30.

Those are just a few of the encouraging stories you’ll find in this issue, and we’d love to hear from you if you have others. Happy New Year from our families to yours!

Lauren H. Dowdle Content Director and Mom contentdirector@jbmcmedia.com 4 Bham Family January 2021

LOCATIONS BIRMINGHAM 500 Cahaba Park Circle, Suite 100 MADISON 8490 Highway 72 W, Suite 100 TRUSSVILLE 117 North Chalkville Road TUSCALOOSA 4700 Rice Mine Road NE VESTAVIA HILLS 520 Montgomery Highway Bham Family January 2021 5

MADISON and VESTAVIA locations now open!

ABOUT US

Bham Family is published monthly by JBMC Media, LLC, P.O. Box 26432, Birmingham AL 35260.

14,000 copies are printed and distributed at more than 530 locations throughout 650 Jefferson and Shelby Counties.

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If your business would like to make copies available to customers, please email matthew@jbmcmedia.com with your business name, address, point of contact, and number of copies you would like.

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O U R A DV E RT I S I N G PA RT N E R S These folks are the ones to thank for our magazine’s success — spend your money with them, and tell them you saw them in Bham Family!

Aldridge Gardens

2

Kasey Davis Dentistry

12

Applause Dancewear

2

Painted Personalities

26

Backyard Adventures

23

Pediatric Smiles

19

Brookwood Baptist Health

9

3

Sike’s Children’s Shoes / Jack n Jill

CakEffect

17

Single Barrel Barber Shop

23

Children’s of Alabama

31

Southlake Orthopaedics

18

Compact2020

32

Urgent Care for Children

5

Creative Dog Training

28

Vineyard Family Services

12

Vulcan Termite & Pest Control

26

Eyes on Chelsea Vision Care

3

Heritage Christian Academy

23

WAY-FM

29

Hoover Met Complex

19

Wrapsody

6

Birmingham BirminghamFamily FamilyMagazine Magazine

LOLLY CRAYONS

SCOUT BAGS

6 Bham Family January 2021

@BhamFamilyMag @BhamFamilyMag

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Healthy Living

Kid-approved recipes for meals and snacks, and why their nutrition is so important. p.10

Food Review 8

Find healthy, tasty meals the whole family will love at Greenhouse. p.13

Medical Spotlight

What parents should know about children’s dental health. p.16

Schoolhouse

Updates from the Hoover School District. p.18

10

Faith

Community on the Rise supports those struggling with homelessness and poverty. p.20

Arts

Never too late to learn with art classes for all ages. p.24

Just for Dads 14

Ward Williams shares thoughts on the importance of creating memories with your kids. p. 25

Family Fun

Indoor activities to keep the whole family entertained. p.27

Kids Who Shine

Four seniors share encouragement, snacks, financial aid, and more with cancer patients. p.30

FEATURE STORIES

Major Milestone

Epilepsy Foundation Alabama celebrates 50 years. p.8

20

Developing Character

Etiquette classes go beyond manners and teach what matters most. p.14

Bham Family January 2021 7

Major milestone Epilepsy Foundation Alabama celebrates 50 years

Epilepsy Foundation Alabama will celebrate its 50th anniversary this month, and everyone is invited to its virtual birthday party.

The party will be livestreamed on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. The foundation chose the date to represent the one in 26 people who will develop epilepsy at some point in their lives.

The event will focus on cherishing the nonprofit’s history in the state, celebrating the milestone anniversary, and highlighting current work the chapter is doing to walk alongside those in Alabama going through their epilepsy journeys.

“We are excited to kick off the 50th anniversary celebration of Epilepsy Foundation Alabama,” says Sara Franklin, executive director of Epilepsy Foundation Alabama. “Since the nonprofit’s founding in 1971, many people have benefited from the services offered by the Epilepsy Foundation. As we enter 2021 and beyond, we are committed to fighting epilepsy together.”

The funds raised during the virtual anniversary event will help support the foundation’s efforts, including support groups, educational conferences, summer camp scholarships, seizure first aid virtual trainings and certifications, 24/7 helpline, and state legislation efforts for seizuresafe schools.

“So many wonderful people from across our state have been involved with the Epilepsy Foundation over the past five decades,” says Garland Stansell, APR, advisory board chair, Epilepsy Foundation Alabama. “The virtual birthday party will be a wonderful way to reflect on the difference the Epilepsy Foundation has made in people’s lives and creates an opportunity to bring attention to the prevalence of the epilepsies.”

This statewide nonprofit has led the fight against seizures in Alabama since 1971, working to improve the quality of life for individuals with epilepsy and seizures. They’ve done that by connecting people to treatment and support, leading advocacy efforts, funding innovating research and specialists, and educating the public 8 Bham Family January 2021

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EPILEPSY FOUNDATION ALABAMA

More than 7,500 children in the state are living with epilepsy and seizures.

about epilepsy and seizure first aid.

The most common serious brain disorder worldwide, epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures — which are sudden, abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 54,000 people in Alabama are living with epilepsy and seizures, including more than 7,500 children.

People can register for the 50th anniversary event at Epilepsyalabama.org/50th. There is no mandatory registration fee, but households are encouraged to donate $126 or more, if they are able.

For anyone who has been impacted by Epilepsy Foundation Alabama or know about the history of the organization, they are encouraged to email their memories and photos to the foundation at alabama@efa.org.

Your Heart Health Can’t Wait Your safe care is our #1 priority.

At the CVA, we’re here to serve our community with advanced heart care, close to home. If you experience chest pain, chest pressure, shortness of breath or other signs of a heart disease, do not ignore your symptoms or downplay your pain. We go above and beyond to help ensure the safety of our patients and staff. For you and your loved ones, this is your community built on care.

Social Distancing

Wear a Mask

Clean Environment

Telehealth

To make an appointment, call 1-855-93-HEART or visit CVAPC.com

Bham Family January 2021 9

HEALTHY LIVING

What’s for

DINNER?

Create healthy eating habits in kids with these tips and recipes

Stuffed peppers are a healthy and fun dish parents and children can make together.

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE Between virtual learning, work, and the dozens of other things on parents’ plates, ensuring children consistently eat healthy meals and snacks can feel overwhelming — especially if there’s a picky eater involved.

While not every meal has to perfectly align with the recommended nutrition standards, it’s important for parents to regularly choose a variety of foods that will meet their children’s high nutrient needs. That’s going to not only help them now, but also in the future, says Janelle Schirmer, staff clinical nutritionists at Children’s of Alabama.

“With children, building those healthy eating 10 Bham Family January 2021

habits at an early age is beneficial because it not only helps them meet their body needs for growth and development, but it also gives them lifelong healthy eating habits that go with them as they get older.”

She says most children need three consistent meals each day, along with one to three snacks that are spaced out. Children who are more active will eat closer to three snacks.

“Make sure you’re setting up a good structure with meal and snack time,” Schirmer says.

“Families can sit at the table and eat together if they’re able.”

Avoiding distractions like TV while eating can help prevent overeating. Paying attention to CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

them, sitting together, talking, and praising good table manners also create an enjoyable eating environment.

For picky eaters, parents can offer them new foods along with familiar ones they know they will enjoy. That way, the child has another food to fall back on if they aren’t ready to try something new.

“As frustrating as it can be if they refuse it, don’t give up. Keep offering new food to them,” Schirmer says. “It can take many new attempts before they ever take a bite.”

As a general rule, meals should include a variety of different food groups: 25 percent proteins, 25 percent starchy foods, and the remaining half fruit and vegetables. It’s also important for parents to be role models, showing their children healthy eating habits.

Finding healthy meals and snacks the whole family will enjoy doesn’t have to be boring or difficult. Stuffed bell peppers are a fun dish that children and their parents can enjoy making together. After scooping out the inside of the pepper, they can stuff them with rice, beans, a protein, and/or vegetables and then bake them in the oven. These can also be prepared ahead of time.

Another healthy dish that children can help prepare is vegetable kabobs. These can include cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, cheese slices, and their other favorite vegetables. Kabobs pair nicely with a fruit salad.

Parents should try to think outside of the box (i.e. pizza or macaroni and cheese) and introduce their children to a variety of new foods.

There are ways to make some of their favorite dishes healthier for even the pickiest of eaters.

For example, parents can use chickpeas or other legume noodles in spaghetti and then pair that with a salad, fruit, or other vegetable.

Other kid-approved meals include a peanut butter and banana sandwich with a side of vegetables and a taco salad with black beans or beef, rice, and corn.

The most satisfying and filling snacks will include a protein paired with a fiber. Examples include peanut butter and celery, fruit with nuts and seeds, trail mix, canned fruit that’s in 100-percent fruit juice, whole grain toast with avocado or a nut spread, and popcorn. Another great option to let them try is humus with Wheat Thins, Triscuit crackers, or vegetables.

However, if parents notice their child is

KID-APPROVED SNACKS Try these healthy (and fun) recipes with your children the next time they’re begging for a snack.

Inside-out sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey, and wrap it around a sesame breadstick.

Protein power: Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes. Shape the mixture into balls, and roll them in crushed graham crackers.

Rocky road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces, and add it to low-fat chocolate pudding — along with a few miniature marshmallows.

Parfait: Create alternating layers of their favorite yogurt and fruit, and top it with granola.

Fruit pop: Peel a banana, and dip it into yogurt. Roll it in crushed cereal, and freeze it.

Find more recipe ideas at Eatright.org. continuously refusing meals, losing weight, and what they’ve tried at home isn’t working, Schirmer encourages them to speak with their pediatrician to monitor their growth and development. They can also meet with a registered dietician at a local clinic or health department to get a more individualized meal plan.

Parents can also visit Choosemyplate.gov to find more recipe ideas, serving sizes, and other food planning information.

“It’s never too early to build healthy habits,” she says. “Kids are going to carry these habits along with them for the rest of their lives.”

Bham Family January 2021 11

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12 Bham Family January 2021

FOOD REVIEW

SALAD SUPERSTAR Greenhouse offers healthy (and tasty) dishes for the whole family

BY JULIA SAYERS GOKHALE The holidays are over, and you’ve had your fill of unhealthy eating. The kids have eaten more Christmas cookies than you can count, and the whole family is in need of some greens. If you’re trying to figure out a place to eat that’s healthy, delicious, and family friendly, you need look no further than Greenhouse in Homewood. This fastcasual salad and sandwich joint opened in 2019 and is focused on fresh foods that make you feel good.

Owned by husband-and-wife team Mary Claire and Bray Britton, the menu takes a chef-driven approach to healthy eating. The main focus of the menu is on large, filling, satisfying salads. You’ll find five staple salads on the menu, as well as a seasonal one.

On your first visit, you’ll want to try the namesake Greenhouse salad, which features mixed greens, romaine, watercress, tomatoes, pickled onions, avocado, goat cheese, salad crunch, and GH goddess dressing. Another popular option is the GH Cobb with romaine, kale, watercress, charred corn, tomatoes, pickled onion, egg, bacon, blue cheese, and honey mustard vinaigrette.

Each salad can be tailored to your taste. You also have the option to add protein, including chicken, shrimp, tofu, roasted pork, steak, or grilled salmon. For picky eaters — or those who love

customization — you can opt to build your own salad completely from scratch. For $10, you can choose two greens and up to 10 free toppings, including options like charred corn, chickpeas, grilled onions, pickled carrot, and more. For additional prices, you can add “primo toppings” such as avocado, bacon, boiled eggs, and hummus.

Taking the kids to Greenhouse and letting them make their own salad is a fun way to encourage them to eat their veggies. If they aren’t into salads though, Greenhouse offers five sandwich options — including a grilled cheese and chicken salad — as well as a specific kid’s menu.

The best thing about Greenhouse’s menu is the ability to mix and match. All salads and sandwiches come in half or full portions, so you can do half a salad and half a sandwich, or half a salad and a cup of soup. Soup options also rotate daily and with the seasons.

Even though you’re trying to eat better, you can reward yourself for the effort with one of Greenhouse’s Ridiculous Cookies. Choose from chocolate chip walnut, oatmeal raisin, or seasonal selections. We promise we won’t tell. After all, that salad was so healthy!

Greenhouse is located at 1017 Oxmoor Road, Suite 111, in Homewood. The restaurant currently is available for carryout, curbside, delivery, and seating on the patio only. However, that is subject to change.

Bham Family January 2021 13

Amy Rainer teaches etiquette classes to children and teenagers.

Developing Leaders Etiquette classes teach children manners, build character

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE When someone thinks about learning the basic rules of etiquette, they might envision instructions on manners, setting a table, or how to act in social situations. But what Amy Rainer focuses on the most with her etiquette classes is developing character in children and teenagers.

Originally from Atlanta, Ga., Rainer graduated from Auburn University and moved to Birmingham, where she taught at Crestline Elementary School in Mountain Brook. She began looking for a way to earn extra income and saw several of the other teachers offered tutoring and other classes. That made her think back to her cotillion and etiquette classes she took as a girl.

“Those are such important skills for children to know,” Rainer says. “I wanted to turn a topic that could be intimidating and stuffy into 14 Bham Family January 2021

something fun for kids.”

With the majority of her time at Crestline spent teaching in the third grade, Rainer decided to create and teach an etiquette curriculum for third grade girls. When she retired from the school after two decades, she realized how much she missed working with children. So, Rainer decided to turn her etiquette classes into a business, and Etiquette by Amy was born.

She now offers virtual and in-person classes for both boys and girls from four years old all of the way through high school, teaching about 45 children and teenagers a month. Having virtual options due to the pandemic allowed her to reach students from across the country, including ones in New York, Nevada, California, and New Mexico.

“It has allowed me to be invited into people’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

homes across the country that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise,” she says.

The students in her classes practice things like acting out different situations, how to keep eye contact, social skills, table manners, how to make good first impressions, and building healthy self-esteem.

“Etiquette has two parts: the way we present ourselves and the way we treat other people,” Rainer says.

She also talks with the children about how to be encouraging to their siblings, respectful to their parents, and how to be contributing members of their families. Everything she teaches is based on Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

“I try to weave those character qualities and truths into every class I teach. Those scriptural principles are built into each lesson,” she says.

“I think one of the most important things for people who work with children is to help raise them to be confident, so they can walk strongly into the next season that God has for them.”

To help them build that confidence, she focuses on things like ensuring the children keep eye contact, how they present themselves, and how they treat other people. But no matter if they’re learning where to place the fork on the table or how to butter a piece of bread, there’s always a lot of laughing and fun in her classes.

As for one of the most fun things Rainer has ever done, it followed a call from a producer from ABC’s “The Bachelor.” The show was interested in having her appear to teach etiquette

lessons to Bachelor Colton Underwood and his date, Hannah Godwin, during her Birmingham hometown date.

“I couldn’t believe they were asking me to do that,” Rainer says.

Originally wary of being on the show because of her beliefs and values, she received advice from a friend who is a pastor. “He said, ‘They’re not calling you on there to endorse the behavior, but to bring some light.’”

She decided to go forward with the filming and says she was glad she did. Rainer’s segment was shot at the Donnelly House, and she taught them about first impressions and table manners.

She now shows that clip to the boys’ classes she teaches to show that these are skills they’ll use the rest of their lives. Seeing the 27-year-old TV star, Colton, learning the same things they are being taught leaves quite the impression.

“I show them the table manners I’m using are the exact same ones I taught Colton. I use the same salt and pepper shaker and the plate with the numbers on it,” Rainer says. “It shows them that if they learn these things as children and they become habits, they won’t have to learn them when they’re 27.”

Rainer has designed her program so that every class builds on itself, so there’s new information in the classes all of the way up. Students can come back every year or two and continue to add to their skills.

“The delivery might change based on their ages, but the rules are the same,” she says.

“They’re timeless lessons. I just want to put this knowledge into someone’s hands.”

Registration for Rainer’s classes opens up in May and October, and most classes meet three times during the semester. For more information on Rainer or her classes, visit Etiquettewithmissamy.com.

Bham Family January 2021 15

MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT

ASK A PHYSICIAN Focusing on children’s dental health Q: When should children have their first dental checkup?

A: The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends recommends children visit the dentist by their first birthday, but if that’s already passed, don’t worry. But in general, the sooner the better. The old recommendation of the first visit at age three was moved earlier because many children were coming to the dentist for their first checkup and already had cavities.

Q: Why is dental health important for children?

A: Dental health is critical for children because the mouth is responsible for many important tasks such as eating, speaking, and social interaction (smiling, laughing, etc.). If a child cannot function without pain or discomfort, it can impact their quality of life negatively. Also, oral health impacts total body health and is itself a mirror of total body health.

Q: What should parents be doing at home to take care of their children’s teeth?

A: As everyone knows, it’s important to brush at least once a day (twice is preferable), brush all the surfaces of the teeth, and use a fluoride toothpaste for best results. Anywhere teeth are touching, especially between the back molars, use those little floss sticks to get between the teeth. I’m always amazed how much plaque and bits of food comes out on the floss even after I’ve brushed my girls’ teeth. The biggest difference a parent can make, however, is with good diet choices for their child. The less sugar the better (even natural sugar), and the less frequent the drinks or snacks, the better. Water, water, water!

Q: What are signs a child might have a dental problem?

A: If a child complains of pain or swelling in their mouth, it’s a good idea to have the dentist take a look. Sensitivity to cold or sweets could also indicate a cavity. Pain that comes and goes is often a sign of an infected tooth. We like to treat cavities while they are still small and before they cause the child pain.

We don’t want them to have those symptoms while they are trying to concentrate at school or are playing with their friends.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

16 Bham Family January 2021

Richard Baxter, DMD, MS Richard Baxter, DMD, MS, loves working with children and is dedicated to helping them have positive dental experiences at Shelby Pediatric Dentistry in Pelham. He’s a board-certified pediatric dentist, board-certified laser surgeon, member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Alabama Dental Association, and the American Dental Association.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

Q: What can children and their parents expect at a dental checkup?

A: Under normal circumstances, we have coffee in the lobby, iPads for the kids, and a toy kitchen for the little ones. COVID-19 has certainly changed our country and dental care, but we still find lots of ways to make the visit fun. Parents call when they arrive, we bring them right back to their hygiene bench, and let them pick a movie on the overhead TV. The hygienist will clean the child’s teeth, and afterward, the dentist will come check the teeth and x-rays if the child is older. We answer any and all parent questions, and apply the fluoride treatment. The child then gets to pick a prize and wave goodbye to the fish on the way out.

Q: What are ways your office caters to children?

A: We have lots of features built into the office to help calm children, from bright colors, fun lights, and the fish tank, to the overhead TVs with movies playing, and fun choices of flavors for the toothpaste. We try to make it as kid-friendly as possible. We explain everything we are going to do before we do it, and we let the kids touch the instruments first. If the child is younger or anxious, we let them sit in the parent’s lap for the cleaning and keep it easy on both the parent and the child.

Of course, if there is a treatment need other than a cleaning, we offer laughing gas, in-office oral sedation, and if there are many cavities and the child is very anxious or younger, we can take our patients to Children’s Hospital and fix their teeth while they are asleep. Most kids are excited from the moment they pull up and see our playground, and they come in and are greeted warmly by our sweet team members. They often are excited for their cleaning and even ask their parents later when they can go back to the dentist again!

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S C H O O L H O U S E NEWS FROM HOOVER CITY SCHOOLS

RC3 students build desks Students at the Riverchase Career Connection Center (RC3) have been working this semester to build desks for younger students who are engaged in virtual learning from home. Bill Vanderwilt, a building construction tutor at the school, learned of a similar effort in Santa Fe, NM, and made the project a reality in Hoover.

Any student or family in need, whether a Hoover student or not, may contact Rex Hare at rhare@hoover.k12.al.us.

Tera Simmons named interim superintendent Dr. Tera Simmons, an assistant superintendent for Hoover City Schools, was named the interim superintendent following Dr. Kathy Murphy’s resignation to become the president of Gadsden State Community College. Dr. Simmons has been with HCS since 2016, having worked previously in Butler County.

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S C H O O L H O U S E NEWS FROM HOOVER CITY SCHOOLS

Cole named “Secretary of the Year” Jennifer Cole, a human resource analyst for HCS, was selected as the 2020-21 “Secretary of the Year” by the Council of Leaders in Alabama Schools. The award is given annually to an outstanding secretary or administrative assistant in an Alabama public school system.

Hoover names Teachers of the Year

Katherine Thompson

Pamela McClendon

Hoover City Schools has named its Teachers of the Year for 2020-21.

Katherine Thompson at Riverchase Elementary has been named HCS Elementary Teacher of the Year, while Pamela McClendon at Riverchase Career Connection Center has been named HCS Secondary Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to both teachers!

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FAITH

Breaking down

BARRIERS

Community on the Rise helps those struggling with poverty, homelessness

During the Girls Learn and Serve Day last February, women from the program taught fifth- through ninthgrade girls how to make and package essential oil blends.

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE It’s the man standing on the street corner, the family of four evicted from their apartment, and the woman fleeing an abusive relationship with nowhere to go. These are the lives Community on the Rise helps across Birmingham.

This nonprofit launched a year ago this month to house, employ, educate, and heal those experiencing homelessness and deep poverty, says Avery Rhodes, executive director of Community on the Rise.

Rhodes volunteered for about a decade serving 20 Bham Family January 2021

meals and doing fundraisers with Church of the Reconciler — which is now the organization’s faith-based partner and whose building they use.

During that time, Rhodes built relationships with the people they served and learned more about homelessness and poverty.

“I learned that my understanding of homelessness and poverty did not even scratch the surface of how complicated and nuanced it really is, and I learned that some of the stereotypes that I unwittingly carried about the homeless were completely wrong and harmful,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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Rhodes says.

She discovered homelessness is often caused by domestic violence, eviction, mental illness, addiction, generational poverty, and job loss.

“It is a cycle that is very difficult to break,” Rhodes says. “Unlike the common idea that people who are homeless should just ‘get a job,’ many of the people with whom I work do work, often 40 hours a week, but minimum wage jobs don’t pay the rent.”

So, with the support of the Church of the Reconciler’s pastors, the idea for the nonprofit was born.

“We wanted to create a safe, beautiful space in which people could gather in community, encourage one another, and do work toward removing their barriers to success,” Rhodes says.

“We wanted to build a holistic program that offered people struggling with homelessness the chance to be employed and earn a fair wage, receive safe, stable housing, and benefit from thorough case management to assist with budgeting, practical life management, and therapeutic group work, all at the same time.”

They have also developed a program for the new year called WHOLE, which stands for wellness and housing opportunity linked to employment. Three candidates will enter this program for the year and be housed at no charge to them.

They will work for the nonprofit at their new social enterprise business recycling plastic waste.

These candidates will not only find stability and healing, but they will also work on projects that benefit the community.

“We believe that new leaders can be born from this program, and we are so excited to share their gifts and talents with our city,” she says.

Community on the Rise also started a program to help community members obtain IDs, since a lack of a valid ID is a major issue in the community. Without an ID, someone is unable to apply for social services, open a bank account, apply for housing, vote, or get a job. So far, the organization has obtained about 100 driver’s licenses, non-driver state identification, birth certificates, and social security cards for people.

They have helped eight families get housed this year, as well as assisting 128 people obtain their stimulus checks. With support from local volunteers and churches, the nonprofit also served about 20,000 meals to unsheltered and food-insecure residents across the city last year and continue to offer daily sack lunches.

Community on the Rise not only helps those in need, but they also give the community a glimpse into who these people really are.

“If we buy into the idea that homeless people are only criminals, advantage-seekers, crazy, lazy, and worthless — and that is largely the narrative out there — then we are shortsighted as a society, and we never get to benefit from the wide breadth of talent and tenacity that exists CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

amongst the people with whom I have the good fortune to work with,” Rhodes says. “I know my community to include women who have run with their children to escape and abusive partner, people who are struggling deeply with addiction and without proper resources to support them toward health, and people who have mental health diagnoses that keep them from being able to survive well in our society.”

She says these stereotypes rob everyone and create barriers to work, housing, and humanity for people experiencing homelessness.

“They deny the rest of us the opportunity to benefit from the gifts that the homeless community has to offer,” Rhodes says. “I am so glad that I have the chance to problem-solve, laugh, cry, and create with this community.”

Each person the nonprofit helps has a name, face, and story. There’s the mother of four who dropped off a gift bag full of goodies like journals, pens, body lotion, and more to thank them. In December, this mother and her children moved into their new apartment, a safe place where she would pay 30 percent of her income instead of the unsustainable 84 percent she paid previously.

“She and her precious children will have a home that she can afford so that she can live her life and parent her kids the way she wants to,” Rhodes says.

There was also a woman from Texas who came here in hopes of a job and to escape an abusive family. Community on the Rise worked with her 22 Bham Family January 2021

to obtain her IDs, a phone, eyeglasses, and to find her much-needed medical care. She earned a bike from Redemptive Cycle for transportation, found a job at a grocery store, volunteers with the organization, and was the first to be hired for the WHOLE program.

Or what about the nonprofit’s first client, who they helped get a driver’s license this past summer? He was able to use the license to get a construction job and buy himself a car.

“Trying to get his ID had been a yearlong struggle for him, and he had felt really hopeless at times,” Rhodes says. “But it only took him a few short months to turn that license into opportunity: work and a car.”

Those are only a few of the success stories that have come out of Community on the Rise. It’s easy to see why Rhodes’s favorite part about the nonprofit is the people.

“I am constantly overcome by how much people who have so little are willing to give. There is boundless love here. I have so much hope for the future because I see how deep resilience runs here,” she says. “There is boundless love here. Community on the Rise is one of my favorite places to be because I am greeted with friendship and love every day.”

Families can support this nonprofit by donating items on their Amazon Wish List or donating monetarily toward the program. They are located at the Church of the Reconciler at 112 14th Street North in Birmingham. For more information, visit Communityontherise.com or find them on Facebook and Instagram.

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ARTS

Art Zone has classes for children, teenagers, and adults in Bluff Park.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ART ZONE

CREATIVE ESCAPE

Artist brings global influences, talent to Art Zone classes

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE If art is a universal language, it’s one that Svetlana Belotserkovskaya speaks fluently.

She created Art Zone in Birmingham nearly two decades ago to offer art classes for people of all ages. That’s only fitting, considering it was classes she took that also drew her to a career and passion for art.

Born in Yaroslavl, Russia, Belotserkovskaya developed a love and talent for art at an early age.

“As far back as I can remember, I drew,” she says.

“I was always working on art projects at school and for my home class.”

When she was nine years old, she signed up for an art class at the local art school, where the assignments were concentrated on the academic style of art and included many still-life pieces.

“We were exposed to many different art styles and techniques, which I used often in my former 24 Bham Family January 2021

career as a graphic artist,” she says. “I find it interesting and challenging to work in so many different styles. So much so, I never actually landed on a specific one as my own personal style.”

She later earned her bachelor’s degree in art at a university in Russia, then earning a second degree in studio art at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Now, she’s working on her masters in art education. Though she’s always had a love for art, teaching it wasn’t in her initial plans.

She worked as a graphic artist and freelanced her painted portraits and murals. But during an art show, customers and spectators watched as she sketched, continuously asking her if she offered art classes. Soon, she had her first student, and within a month, that turned into 40 students.

And her classes have only grown from there, having taught in Birmingham for more than 18 years now.

Combining the influences of Russian and American schools of thought, Belotserkovskaya offers classes year-round that not only teach art skills, but also show students how to express their ideas through art. Her classes are open for children six years old all the way up to adults.

Art Zone offers drawing and painting classes, with clay classes currently on hold due to COVID. Her classes have been taught in various locations across the Birmingham area, and they are currently held in Bluff Park. She also travels for art workshops and events around town.

The subject matter and inspirations vary by age group and individual student. Children learn how to draw plants, animals, people, imaginary creatures, landscapes, still lives, and cartoons.

All ages can sign up for a single class or by the month.

“My students, especially teenagers and adults, come to my class with various styles and different ideas of what they want to depict,” Belotserkovskaya says. “Having the ability to draw and paint in multiple styles gives me the advantage to help individuals with diverse requests.”

No experience is needed, as she works with both beginners and more advanced students.

“Some people attend my classes for years,” she

says. “For children, art helps to develop motor skills, abilities to focus on a task, and to learn how to be creative and open-minded. Art is a great escape from their everyday realities and problems.”

It’s clear her classes are making an impact on the students from the countless notes and messages they have left her. One said, “Taking art classes let me learn more about the world, while also learning more about myself. I got to learn more about different styles and different mediums, while also learning how to put my own spin on things.”

Another student said, “Art was such an important influence on my younger years that I ended up majoring in art history. It’s helped me understand more about the nuances of the world.”

Though Belotserkovskaya finds herself in the role of a teacher, her passion for learning is always present.

“To further challenge myself, I like to develop and grow as an artist and take various art classes even when traveling by myself,” she says.

Art Zone is located at 736A Shades Mountain Plaza in Birmingham. For more information or to sign up for an art class, visit Artzonebirminghamal.com.

JUST FOR DADS Ever since my son’s first year in the Thompson High School marching band, I made a point of walking over to the band section of the stadium during a football game and screaming, “Carson Williams, your dad is here to support Ward you!” and “Go saxophones!”

Williams This interaction embarrassed him deeply for a while. Then it became an expectation, and then a family tradition.

On Dec. 2, as the 2020 7A High School championship game between Thompson High School and Auburn was drawing to a close, the Thompson attendees, players, and band had accepted the fact that they had lost the game. With less than 2 minutes of play in the game to go, with miniscule odds for a win, I made my way over to the band to fulfill the tradition and congratulate my son and the rest of the band on a great season. I was standing directly behind my son, amongst the marching band as the game took a dramatic turn

and an enthusiastic celebration broke out.

ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Shelby County Reporter, AL.com, and several other media outlets all replayed videos of the celebration of the Thompson High School’s improbable comeback victory. But my favorite video was of my son, in his senior year, playing the high school fight song, and looking at me with a scowl, then a smirk and finally a smile.

The Thompson football game is a reminder that many situations have not reached their final conclusion. You must never give up. One of my favorite Bible verses is Galatians 6:9, “Let us not grow weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

As we start a new year, I encourage you: Create memories, new memories with your children; go fishing, hunting, camping; drive them to school; take a dance class with them; exercise with them; seek reconciliation with your child, parent, friend, or whatever relationship needs mending in your life. I pray your 2021 be a year of redemption of what has been lost.

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Face painting and more for your next party!

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For Birmingham.

For families.

FAMILY FUN

Indoor activities everyone can enjoy

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE As both parents and children struggle with cabin fever thanks to the pandemic and colder weather, everyone is looking for fun ways to pass the time. Check out these activities that will make this socially distant winter a little easier.

FAMILY GAME NIGHT There’s a reason this idea is a classic. Not only does having a family game night give everyone something to look forward to during the week, but it also creates a fun evening of memories that are sure to last.

Have children pick out which games they want to play, order in pizza or their favorite food, and turn off all of the electronics. Some popular games include Monopoly, Clue, Sorry, Jenga, Pictionary, Scrabble, and The Game of Life.

ASK THE KIDS Having children come up with an idea list of things to do gives them ownership of the activities, and it also passes the time while they write the list. Turn the list-building experience into a game to see who can come up with the most ideas. Activities could include a scavenger hunt, crafts, reading, or games.

BAKE TREATS Coming together in the kitchen can be fun for the whole family. Kids will learn practical skills like cooking and math with their measurements, although they’ll be having too much fun to realize it. To keep from having a house full of sweets,

consider baking healthier items or giving the treats to neighbors or others in need. Homemade goodies are sure to brighten anyone’s day.

WRITE LETTERS Everyone’s worn out with Zoom, Google Meet, and other digital interactions. So, bring back the old-school method of communication: letters.

Children can write letters to family members, nursing home residents, hospital patients, and other local groups. On a national level, Letters Against Isolation was created by kids to send letters to self-isolating seniors, so check them out to get involved.

CRAFT TIME Doing something creative doesn’t need to be a nightmare for parents. Instead, keep the crafts simple and easy to clean up. For example, spray shaving cream on the table, and let children play with it until it disappears. When they’re done, simply wipe the table with a wet rag to clean up any residue. Children can also write and design their own books, use Play-Doh, make jewelry with painted noodles, or decorate rocks to hide around their yard or neighborhood.

BACK TO THE BASICS Parents can think back to what activities they enjoyed as children, back in the Stone Age before the Internet and cell phones were around or popular. Maybe it was movie night, playing hide and go seek, telling stories over the dinner table, or putting on silly plays. Now’s the time to come together to make memories.

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KIDS WHO SHINE

PETER ANELLA, 18

“The Cool Cat Club is just trying to make the cancer journey a little bit easier.

We’re trying to help everyone we can and brighten peoples’ days.

If we can do that every day, we’re doing a really good job.”

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE When school shut down last spring at the start of the pandemic, four seniors used their free time to create an organization to support cancer patients.

Peter Anella started The Cool Cat Club with fellow Oak Mountain High School seniors Tanner Gray, Amalia Trujillo, and Hall Welborn — all who have been impacted by cancer in some way.

His father, Pete, was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2015. The cancer came back in 2018, and he fought it until December 2019.

During that time, Peter went with his father for treatments, doctor visits, and testing. That’s when Peter says he realized a need.

No one was asking the cancer patients how they were doing or letting them know they were happy to see them. That was something Peter’s father mentioned quite a bit, and Peter realized this was a need no one would realize unless they had been where he’s been. The name for the group also came from his father because “everyone would call him the cat.”

“After he passed, I was thinking, he was such a giving person, always helping anyone he could,” Peter says. “I want to keep that alive, even though he’s not here.”

The organization focuses on comfort carts and financial aid. The carts include things like notes of encouragement, toboggans, baseball caps, head scarves, masks, shakes, snacks, and other free items for patients to enjoy.

They also provide financial aid for pharmaceutical and hospital bills to help with that burden. “If you have a family member, the last thing you want to have to think about is, ‘Can I pay for it?’” Peter says.

To raise money, the students rely on donations and the support of the community. The Cool Cat Club will also be hosting a golf tournament fundraiser at Greystone Country Club April 20.

The event will include a box lunch, coolers on the course, dinner party, raffles, a grand prize winner, and more.

30 Bham Family January 2021

Peter Anella, center, started The Cool Cat Club with Hall Welborn, left, Tanner Gray, right, and Amalia Trujillo.

For anyone who thinks the organization was created to build the students’ resumes, “they don’t understand the passion I have for it,” Peter says.

“I want to keep it going for as long as I can.”

They’ve been working with students from other high schools to start the club in their schools. They have the organization set up at Oak Mountain, Thompson, John Caroll, Spain Park, and others are in the works. The original four cool cats also plan to start the organization where they go to college.

“The Cool Cat Club is just trying to make the cancer journey a little bit easier,” Peter says.

“We’re trying to help everyone we can and brighten peoples’ days. If we can do that every day, we’re doing a really good job.”

Families and businesses can donate, sponsor a cart, sign up for the golf tournament, or reach out to the group for other ways to get involved.

For more information, visit thecoolcatclub.org.

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WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

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TEEN TALK LINE (205) 605-1830

PARENT TALK LINE compact2020.com (205) 605-1827

TEENS — Have questions? Concerned about things? Just need someone to listen? Talking helps. Whether you are having a great day or a tough day, give us a call. We are here to listen.

PARENTS — Think your teen might be involved with substance abuse?Have questions? Concerned about your teen? Wondering how to handle your teen’s choices? Just need someone to listen to you? Talking helps.

32 Bham Family January 2021