Thanks to the federal dollars coming to  the Governor’s Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, case managers across Alabama can be supported for an additional 15 months, starting now.  Additional case managers make sure that the needs of individuals and families are heard, especially in rural areas where such services may have been limited in the past.

“Our previous work in responding to natural disasters showed that case managers play such an important role in helping survivors make a plan to rebuild their lives and livelihoods,” said Gus Heard-Hughes, Director of Initiatives. “When people are in shock, their homes and communities destroyed, a case manager can help them make a plan to move forward and plug them into a lot of different resources.”

In the early stages of recovery from tornadoes in 2011, agencies such as Salvation Army and Red Cross provided case management, sometimes on a volunteer basis. The Community Foundation and other funders also supported case managers  as part of our commitment to this proven method of identifying needs and presenting those needs to Long Term Recovery Committees across our state.

Additional case managers will help us all make progress toward meeting the needs of people who are still suffering. The January 2012 storms remind us that volunteers and dollars are still needed and that, together, we can make a difference.

Thank you to everyone who has made a gift of any size for tornado recovery. Learn more about our response and continued needs.

Today at 2 p.m. and on Feb. 21 at 5 p.m., you can be part of two gatherings and show support for ways to help us all lead healthy lives.

Today, Feb. 15, the Public Safety Committee of the Birmingham City Council is holding a public hearing on a proposed Smokefree Air Ordinance which will strengthen the current law.  The meeting is set to start at 2 p.m. in City Council Chambers at Birmingham City Hall, 710 North 20th Street downtown.

On Feb. 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Freshwater Land Trust, Health Action Partnership and Regions Bank invite everyone to join a celebration to unveil the Jefferson County Greenway Master Plan and announce the winner of the contest to name the greenway. This is part of Our One Mile, a community input process that allowed all of us to participate by highlighting our favorite sidewalks, paths and bike routes.

A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes for both of these efforts and will continue as long as our community continues to push to become the healthiest place we can be. We hope you will join us in supporting these policy and planning efforts, or learn more about our efforts as part of the Health Action Partnership.

UWCA's Harry Brown, left, with Rose and Daniel Yarbrough (UWCA photo)

It was the day before Valentine’s Day, an ordinary Monday at United Way of Central Alabama, when Rose and Daniel Yarbrough walked in. Their mission was special — to make a gift that would help tornado survivors as they were helped last year.

The Yarbroughs see themselves as fortunate, since their home suffered minor damage compared to many that were destroyed in April of 2011 across Alabama. But mold and mildew prevented them from staying there while repairs were completed, and they feared becoming homeless. A call to the 2-1-1 line operated by UWCA connected them with resources that they used to stay in a hotel while their home was repaired.

That’s a great result for the generous gifts of donors who responded to tornado needs last year. But the story doesn’t end there. The Yarbroughs wanted to do some giving of their own to support the  organizations that helped them. Now, with this gift of $1,400, they can help others who are still suffering.

The Yarbroughs’ gift brought a round of applause from the members of the Central Alabama Long Term Recovery Committee, including Gus Heard-Hughes of the Community Foundation, as the group met later that afternoon to consider the needs of so many tornado survivors still struggling to get back on their feet.

Your gift to the Emergency Response Fund can make a difference too, as we continue to reach out to survivors of the 2011 and 2012 tornadoes and other natural disasters. Together we can do so much more.

The Community Foundation was an early investor in Innovation Depot, using Community Funds contributed by donors throughout our history. The latest partnership combines Community Funds with partner grants from three Advised Fund donors through our Giving Together program for a grant totaling $75,000.

As James McCrary, Vice President Grants and Evaluation, explains, this grant allows us to leverage Community Funds to do even more for one of the key Results of our strategic grantmaking, making communities sustainable, livable and vibrant. In 2011, Community Foundation donors made gifts totaling more than $950,000 to support this and the other three parts of the Results Framework.

You can support our community too, whether you want to focus on healthy lives, education, economic security or community life.  Check out the Results listed among our Donate Now choices and join us or explore our website to find out how we focus our work to drive positive change.

It’s always hard to see the shattered buildings, the blue tarps, even the first-responders in action. That’s especially true when we know that recovery is far from complete from 2011 tornadoes.

Maybe this is the reminder we all need that disasters continue to bring sorrow and challenges in our lives.  That’s why Salvation Army, Red Cross and other first-responders are so important, why the 2-1-1 operated by United Way of Central Alabama is essential to help people find what they need and why Hands On Birmingham and other organizations are vital to funnel volunteer support to places where people can help.

The Community Foundation will be there too, using the Emergency Response Fund to support long-term needs through the Central Alabama Long-Term Recovery Committee. Representatives from communities hit by the January storms are already attending the  on-going CALTRC meetings, making sure they are plugged in to a variety of resources.

We are all in this for the long term, knowing that this latest line of tornadoes won’t be the last one and looking for ways to build communities that will be better able to protect their residents the next time.

Thank you for your gifts to the Community Foundation and all other organizations supporting these immediate and long-term needs. Whatever we do, we need each other to make it through.

See the results on Tuesday, Feb. 21, when Regions Bank and the Freshwater Land Trust unveil the Our One Mile greenway master plan, along with the overall name for the system, also chosen out of so many submitted by people across our community.

Our One Mile is really OUR one mile, because this is the system that will help to guide the Freshwater Land Trust and others. It fits several important strategies for the Community Foundation, as we seek to expand and improve public green space in order to keep our communities are sustainable, livable and vibrant and as we work with a variety of initiatives through the Health Action Partnership so people can lead healthy lives.

Find out more about this special event, which starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art, or contact Heather Forbush for questions or to RSVP.

Director of Initiatives Gus Heard-Hughes is already working hard to make the most impact with gifts that we have received from all over the U.S. On Alabama Gives Day, we received $11,000 from donors using their Advised Funds at the Community Foundation to recommend a grant. And we received $3,140 from 36 donors on the Alabama Gives Day website and text-to-give — including 11 donors who had not made a gift to the Community Foundation before.

Verizon also made a gift of $5,000 from its foundation, making a total of $19,140 for tornado survivors and their communities.

If you did not have a chance to give on Feb. 2, you can still make your dollars count for tornado recovery by choosing the Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund (statewide) or Emergency Response Fund (Birmingham region) on our Donate Now menu. Or join us in working toward four key Results for our community.

Together we can do so much more, today and for the future. Thank you!

Austin Virciglio of Piggly Wiggly, Kathryn Corey of Community Foundation and Laurie Slay of EatRight by UAB

Whether you live in Midfield or Mountain Brook, you should be seeing some new information on the shelves of Piggly Wiggly stores, along with the price of your favorite foods.  The source? UAB EatRight Nutrition Guidance System, funded as part of a collaboration with the Community Foundation to help people lead healthy lives.

With recipe cards and labels pointing out fresh fruits and vegetables, EatRight by UAB provides support for healthy choices, right there in the supermarket aisle. Instead of pointing out what you should not eat, the colorful labels use a white fork on a green background to designate foods you should eat more often.

We already knew that improving nutrition and access to healthy food was a good strategy for the health result that our community wants.  Our grant of $75,000 over two years to the UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences was supported by Community Funds as well as two Giving Together donors looking for an opportunity to make a difference.

Watch for more stories about opportunities that generous Advised Fund donors have enjoyed as they combine their charitable gifts with grants from the Community Foundation. These opportunities are open to anyone who wants to make a gift through our Donate Now button — just choose the Result you want to support from the drop-down menu on that page.

We invite you to explore our website for more details on the four Results that frame our grant strategy or contact James McCrary or Kathryn Corey on our staff to find out more about the EatRight grant. In 2011, Community Foundation donors made gifts totaling more than $950,000 to support the Results Framework.

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (CFGB) is seeking candidates for the position of Senior Vice President of Grants and Initiatives.  Throughout its 53-year history, CFGB has been a catalyst for change through its strategic, proactive initiatives, its grantmaking and its community leadership.  This position has responsibility for the planning, implementation and evaluation of initiatives, particularly those using the Community Catalyst Funds within CFGB.  In addition, this position provides community leadership around issues aligned with CFGB’s priorities and leads the evaluation of grantmaking.

This position requires someone with an entrepreneurial spirit and an interest in exploring and implementing innovative approaches to community change.  A strong commitment to the Greater Birmingham community is essential.  The successful candidate will have a proven track record of visionary leadership and creativity and a broad knowledge of the nonprofit sector.  The position also requires outstanding written and oral communication skills, proven results in developing and implementing major projects, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.

This is a senior level executive position reporting to and working closely with the President and the Board of Directors.  The Senior Vice President must be comfortable in a fast-paced, high-energy environment and able and willing to strongly and clearly express and defend his or her views and opinions.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.  An excellent benefits package is included.

Letters of applications with resume must be submitted by March 15 to:
Tom Thompson and Associates, Inc.
P.O. Box 661046
Birmingham, AL 35266
tom@tomthompsonconsulting.com
205-967-9386