Enjoy activities and tributes to Veterans on Memorial Day at the American Village. Admission is free. Over 700,000 students have visited the American Village since its opening in 1999. The multimedia presentations are great learning tools for all who visit the American Village, especially our youth.
The American Village is open to the public with free admission on Memorial Day, May 27, 2019 – a day of remembrance for those who have served and sacrificed for liberty. âMemorial Day is one of the most meaningful days for visitors to the American Village,” said American Village president and CEO Tom Walker. “We remember those men and women in every generation who have served and sacrificed to defend the freedoms we enjoy as AmericansâŠâ
The American Village opens Memorial Day at 10:00 a.m. with events beginning at 10:30 a.m. and continuing until 3:00 p.m. âA Salute to Our Veteransâ begins at 11:00 a.m. in Liberty Hall and will feature patriotic music by the Montevallo Community Chorale. Events include drilling with Washingtonâs Continental Army with opportunities to meet revolutionary figures. Visit a replica Oval Office, Concord Bridge and more. You can also help the American Village tell the stories of our veterans by adding someone you know who has served or is serving in the U. S. Armed Forces to the Veterans Register of Honor, www.veteransregisterofhonor.com, housed at the Villageâs Veterans Shrine. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.americanvillage.org. â f
Disabilities can change the way we operate in day-to-day life, even in spaces as familiar as our home. In fact, the home can quickly become a challenging space full of obstacles when new disabilities impact our lives, and when we age. Stairs, bathrooms, doorknobs, and certain surfaces may suddenly become hazardous, and it may be overwhelming to try and adapt.
Replace Stairs with Ramps. Stairs are a hazard for many, not just those in wheelchairs but for anyone with limited mobility. Several ramp styles exist to meet any needs; collapsible ramps allow for easy storage, portable ramps mean you can quickly transform any step into a wheelchair accessible entry on the go, and threshold ramps make an entryway instantly accessible.
Install a Stair Lift. If you or your loved one finds stairs to be a cumbersome obstacle, consider installing a stair lift. Stair lifts turn multi-level homes or even front yard steps into accessible homes for those with limited mobility. Installing them will level out your home and create a safe, accessible space.
Consider an Elevator. An alternative to a stair lift, elevators can be a great solution for those with limited mobility. They can be elegant, safe, reliable, and swift. They can also be integrated into existing architecture.
Update your Toilet. The toilet is another area of the bathroom that can become treacherous for those with disabilities. Handrails eliminate users need to balance as they sit down and stand up from the toilet. Consider installing a simple safety frame around your toilet to increase the userâs comfort and quality of life.
Place Handrails & Grab Bars in Key Areas. For those with poor balance, prone to falls, low mobility, or who simply need help getting up out of chairs, beds, or bathroom areas, well-placed handrails can make a world of difference. Grab rails in the bathroom especially will decrease the risk of falls, and help users lift themselves up from seated positions. They increase independence and create peace-of-mind.
Ditch Doorknobs. Many styles of doorknobs are cumbersome and hard to use for those who have a hard time gripping. Replacing doorknobs with push/pull bars, press lever handles, or even automatic doors will increase your homeâs accessibility tremendously.
Simplify Pool Entry. Backyard pools can be a lot of fun, but they can be hard to use for those with a disability. But, pools offer great opportunities for exercise and therapy for many people facing disabilities, and so updating your pool to be ADA compliant is a big part of making your home into a handicap accessible home. There are a great variety of pool lifts that are built to enable safe aquatic entry for the disabled and mobility-challenged.
Rearrange Your Furniture. Consider the layout of your home. Is your furniture situated so that those with low-mobility or those in wheelchairs can easily get around? Arrange your furniture so that there are no sharp turns or narrow passageways. Make daily use items, such as comfy chairs, bookshelves, and kitchen plates and utensils, easy to access. This may mean moving items to lower shelves for those using mobility devices.
Consult with an Expert.There are many ways to convert your home into a handicap accessible home for those with disabilities, and the options may seem overwhelming. The good news is, 101 Mobility experts are always standing by to advise you on the best solutions for you and your loved ones.
Derek Gann
Locally Owned & Operated in Birmingham, Serving Residents Across Alabama
Red Mountain Grace is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing gracious housing to out-of-town patients and caregivers during their extended medical stays in Birmingham. We maintain and continue to expand a portfolio of clean, quiet, comfortable apartments within a few miles of world-class hospitals, where families can settle and unwind as they endure their loved onesâ arduous medical regiments. We believe home is much more than a place to eat, shower, and sleep, and we welcome each of our guests with warmth and individual connection.
Red Mountain Grace has helped more than 400 families find their home away from home while seeking medical treatment in Birmingham, Alabama â and we want to celebrate with you!
Widespread Grace is Birminghamâs most exciting invitation to listen to life-changing stories, meet our past and present guests, and get involved and change the lives of families this year. Read more about this special event here!
Eagle Scout Will Allison with parents, Deidre and Kyle Allison.
Will Allison, a senior at Hoover High School and a graduate of Prince of Peace Catholic School designed, coordinated and directed the construction of an outdoor classroom and walking trail behind Prince of Peace Catholic Church. He is the son of Kyle and Deidre Allison
Joseph Carter, also a senior at Hoover High school designed, planned anddirected the construction/installation of three flag retirement drop boxes, one of which is located in the Prince of Peace Catholic Church parking lot. He is the son of Roger and Georgeann Carter.
Eagle Scout Joseph Carter with parents, Roger and Georgeann Carter.
The Prince of Peace Knights of Columbus Council #11537 partially funded Allison and Carterâs Eagle Scout projects.
Eagle Scout Jacob Pugh has participated in scouts for 12 years, earned 40 merit badges and has held leadership positions as Quarter Master from 2012 to the present, Patrol Leader in 2016, and the Troop Representative for The Order of the Arrow Brotherhood – Greater Alabama Coosa Lodge since 2017. He has also been awarded the AD ALTARE DEI â Catholic Faith medal.
Jacob Pugh, a senior at John Carol High School and a graduate of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School wanted to give back to his former elementary school community. In 2018, he developed an Eagle Scout project that included the design and construction of a six-foot tall and seven-and-a-half-foot wide maple wood Lost and Found Center for the school cafeteria. The center is a cabinet that consists of a coat rack and ten-compartments to hold a variety of lost items at the school. He is the son of Mary and Wesley Pugh of Hoover.
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America. Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. â
High school and middle school youth take part in the recent Rise Against Hunger meal packaging service project at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Homewood.
Parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows(OLS) Catholic Church are excited about their part in a mission to put a dent in world hunger. The last weekend in February food packing assembly stations were set up in the Family Life Center and church members worked together to help Rise Against Hunger,an international hunger relief non-profit organization,aid starving and malnourished children. On February 23 parishioners of all ages, including Cub Scouts, worked to prepare meal packages during three two-hour shifts. On the afternoon of February 24, the Confirmation class of the Parish School of Religion prepared 16,000 packages as a service project. That night, 60 high school and middle school youth group members assembled several thousand meals. In all, OLS packaged 80,000 nutritious meals containing soy, dehydrated vegetables, rice, and vitamins. One bag can feed six children. The goal of the project is to support Rise Against Hungerâs goal to end hunger by the year 2030.
Janet Kinyua, Jacinta Ngigi, Father Mungai (New York), Father Daniel (Montgomery), Father Michael (Louisiana) cut a celebratory cake at the social following Mass in Swahili at Prince of Peace Catholic Parish.
The Birmingham Kenyan Catholic community recently celebrated Mass in Swahili at Prince of Peace (POP) Catholic Parish in Hoover and held a social afterward which also celebrated Black history month. This group prays the Rosary at noon on the second Sunday of the month at POP. In addition, Father Daniel Owuor, pastor of St. Jude parish in Montgomery visits on the third Sunday of the month to offer Mass in Swahili at 3 pm.
Capt. John J. Cummings, USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) commanding officer, presents the Navy Security Forces Sentry certificate of graduation to Airman Apprentice Achilya Dixon, from Birmingham, Ala., assigned to Ford’s air department during an in-port security force (ISF) class graduation.
Homewoodâs Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School first-graders (from left to right) Emily Louise Childress, Millie Danks, and Corbin Agricola enjoyed a fun-filled week as they learned about Dr. Seuss as a writer and an artist in honor of his birthday.
A great fear for many Christian parents is their child walking away from faith and choosing to no longer believe. For many kids who grew up in the church, there comes a time when they must determine what they believe for themselves. In this moment, either the faith of their parents becomes the faith that they choose to embrace, or they choose to believe something different.
As a child grows into the teenage years, they are going through a process of individuation. Your child is beginning to forge their own way to determine who they are, what they value, and how they are going to choose to live their life. It is in these moments when questions about faith, beliefs, and doubts can begin to surface.
In their recent book Growing With: Every Parentâs Guide to Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Thrive in Their Faith, Family, and Future, Kara Powell and Steven Argue suggest that âitâs not doubt that is toxic to faith; itâs silenceâ (p. 116). So how can you as a parent become a conversation partner for your student when they are experiencing doubt:
Realize that You Donât Have All the Answers. When it comes to engaging childrenâs doubts about faith, often parents feel like they need to have all the answers. Though Godâs Word is written to point us to Jesus the Savior, it is not meant to be an answer book for all of your studentâs questions about God that are being fueled by their doubts. Doubts are conquered through the work of the Spirit opening your childâs eyes to faith and not by your theologically correct answers.
Understand that Growth in Faith Is a Process. When we think of growth in grace, we think that we are gradually ascending the mountain of faith. The truth, however, is that our and our childrenâs walk with Jesus looks more like a roller coaster than a hike up Everest. In the dips in the ride seen in periods of doubt, we know that God is still writing the story.
See Doubt as an Open Door for Godâs Work. Leading your child from doubt to faith is something that only the Holy Spirit can do. Doubt is a wrestling with God through which your student is asking the hard questions. We worship a God that is bigger than our greatest questions. He loves your child more than you do, and though we may not see it, He is at work.
Dr. Ben Birdsong serves as the Minister of Students at Meadow Brook Baptist, and also writes and blogs at www.benbirdsong.com
Wherever you are on April 25, you can help spread the word about Bubbles for Love by blowing bubbles for 10 minutes at Noon. Do not forget to post your picture on social media using the hashtag #bubblesforlove
On your mark. Get set. Blow bubbles! âBubbles for Loveâ Day is part of the Alabama Family Rights Associations Parent Alienation Prevention and Awareness Week. On April 25, 2019, you can help spread awareness by blowing bubbles and âwatching love grow.â
Kenneth Paschal, State President of the Alabama Family Rights Association, explains that parental alienation is âany behavior or attitude on the part of one parent, both parents or a third party that are designed to interfere, damage or destroy the relationship a child has with the other parent.â Paschal adds that children are designed by God to naturally love both parents. Hindering a childâs natural love of one parent can cause major problems since they are required to suppress their love. Since they are suppressing their love, children who experience parental alienation try to fill this void with other things. Paschal shares that some of the more severe effects of parental alienation include: Drug use, teen pregnancies, suicide and bullying.
Bring your children to the Birmingham Barons game on April 20, 2019, to cover Regions Field with bubbles.
The official Bubbles for Love day is April 25, 2019 at noon. The impact of this special day grows as more people participate. You can get involved by blowing bubbles for ten minutes in your workplace, school or home. The bubbles represent love from a child flowing freely to both parents no matter what their parentsâ marital status is. If you cannot take time to blow bubbles on April 25, do not worry! You can blow bubbles any day during the week of April 21-27 to help raise awareness. Paschal explains that anyone, anywhere can participate by taking a picture of yourself or others blowing bubbles and posting it on social media with the hashtag, #bubblesforlove. Â
Get your bubbles ready to blow on April 25, 2019! Help spread the word that each child should be encouraged to freely love both of their parents without one parentâs effort to damage or erase the other parent and child relationship.
April is the National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month. Paschal shares that parental alienation is considered by some psychologists as one of the worst forms of child abuse and more than 40,000 children experience it Alabama. Governor Ivey proclaimed April 21-27, 2019, as Parental Alienation Prevention and Awareness Week. There are many organized events taking place to help raise awareness. On April 1, the city of Pelham will go blue in honor of child abuse prevention. On April 20, the Birmingham Barons are partnering with Alabama Family Rights Association to host a âBubbles for Loveâ event where volunteers and the Barons power team will give the first 3,000 participates soap bubbles to blow during the pre-game ceremony. To read about more events, visit www.alfra.org/bubbles-for-love-day or visit âBubbles for Love Day – Alabama 2019â on Facebook.
