Helping Hands in the Hills goes forward with fewer projects due to COVID-19

While there won’t be as many projects to help elderly residents and others in need in the Vestavia Hills community this fall, the annual Helping Hands in the Hills event will still occur, offering document shredding, hazardous waste disposal, e-recycling and medication collection.

Karen Odle, executive director of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, said she has heard from people in the community who will be especially grateful for this year’s event. As people quarantined in their homes to try to stay away from the virus, some started cleaning out their basements and realized how much they need to get rid of their old junk, she said.

This year’s event, set for Sept. 12 at Vestavia Hills City Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., offers the chance for residents to do just that. People will drive up to City Hall and follow the signs, never leaving their cars, while volunteers, who will all be in masks, will collect their documents, expired or unneeded medications, or hazardous waste, Odle said.

Each year, volunteers also are organized into teams to carry out various service projects in the city. However, due to the pandemic, that isn’t happening on as large a scale this year, Odle said. There will still be some outdoor projects, but chamber officials wanted to limit possible exposure to the virus, especially since many projects serve senior citizens.

For more information about the event, visit the chamber’s website, vestaviahills.org.