I Care Birmingham

Ministering to the needs of the disaster survivors is not a job…it’s a privilege!  Individuals and organizations have been lending a hand in the relief and recovery efforts. Russell Manufacturing has significantly helped by providing clothing to families affected by the storms and others in need. We have helped to bridge partnerships with Russell, the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency, Adventist Community Service, Birmingham City Schools, and The Birmingham Parent Teacher Association.

1500 winter Jackets, 3,000 Polo shirts, 12,000 socks, and 2500 sweatshirts have been distributed to these families and senior citizens just in time to help during the onset of winter. These clothing items have not been a handout but have been seen as a hand up for those who literally have to replace everything they own.

Mission Birmingham has the privilege of providing family services at Marks Village Housing Community Center. Our staff has more than 20 years of experience in working with low income families. There have been many programs implemented since gaining site control; one of them is a K-12 tutoring program which helps students daily afterschool. Ebony Pearls is another program that empowers and educates women on how to preserve their lives through knowledge of the danger of HIV.  Teach First Parents Club is a program designed to show easy and fun ways to teach pre-school children at home. There are other programs designed specifically to equip young boys and girls with the life-skills that they need for success. On October 29th, a health fair was held and area physicians agreed to donate their time and resources to assess some of the health needs in the community. Over 450 individuals attended making this a huge success. 2012 will bring many opportunities including our jobs training program.

Partnering with Covenant Presbyterian, Covenant Community, The Church at Brook Hills, New Covenant, the City of Birmingham Council of PTA’s, The Birmingham Housing Authority and other partners, we were able to provide Christmas gifts for more than 200 children during 2011 holiday season and feed more than 750 families.

The Christmas gifts included clothes, shoes, bicycles, electronics, and toys. Because of our partnerships with organizations who gather families, we were able to identify families who were definitely in need this Christmas. The parents were excited and so moved by the generosity of our partners. Mobilizing the CHURCH and communities for the purpose of strengthening families has been realized through this initiative.

 Last year, we worked with the Birmingham Police Department, the Birmingham City School System, and a network of churches to pilot a School Monitoring Ministry.  Volunteers from local churches give of their time in the seven Birmingham High Schools to help with discipline and to help make these schools the safest in Alabama.

These volunteers have shown the love of Christ to the students and as a result, the atmosphere is changing on the campuses.  We continue to mobilize the church to extend their ministry onto the public schools campus to make a difference in the lives of students and families.

We have worked diligently the last couple of years facilitating a dropout recovery program partnership between the Birmingham City Schools and local churches.  This program has provided young adults between the ages of 17-21 an opportunity to re-enroll in community based sites to recover their credits and receive a high school diploma.  In 2011, 99 students who had dropped out of school and were on the streets have now completed their high school education and have received a full diploma.  Most of these students are working toward a secondary education and have a new desire for success in life. 

Lives are being transformed!  A part of the celebration is that the churches are ministering to the students and their families.  Several students committed their lives to Christ through relationships with the churches!  One mother whose son had quit school, made sure that he had enrolled into this program and attended school each day.  For her efforts, the son has received a second chance by receiving a diploma. He has also moved from getting into trouble in his idle time to working towards a degree in nursing.  This is an important beginning towards addressing the challenges caused by the high dropout rates in our region.

On Thursday, January 26, 2012, a College and Scholarship Fair will be held in Birmingham, Alabama targeting high school seniors from Birmingham City Schools.  The Birmingham Infinite Scholars Scholarship and Vocational Fair is a partnership between the Infinite Scholar Organization, Birmingham City Schools, Mission Birmingham Transformation Strategies, and other Corporate and Governmental entities.  This Fair will introduce high school seniors to college admission professionals and experts who will help them obtain some and the scholarship money that is available every year.  The goal is to provide students with the financial means, information and guidance to further their education by pursuing degrees and certifications at institutions of higher learning.  The fair targets minority students but is open to all.

The fair will draw more than forty (40) colleges and universities from across Alabama and the southeast region of our country and beyond (including a number of historically black universities). Also Jefferson County Center for Workforce Development and other organizations will participate with information and opportunities for funding   vocational education. Representatives of U.S. Military services also will attend.

So many college-bound students are unable to afford to go to college; this partnership will help them identify partial and four-year scholarships if they qualify.  College and university admission representatives are invited to the Fair with the agreement of waiving application fees and providing admittance and scholarships on site.   Students attending this event will need to bring a resume, school transcript, two to three letters of recommendation and their ACT/SAT scores.

Over 10,000 students and 4,000 parents have attended 11 annual Infinite Scholars events across the country so far with over $350,000,000.00 in scholarships awarded.  Money should not be the deciding factor for a motivated student to get a degree.