Spirit of the City: Despite pandemic, Vestavia Hills rallies together to stay united and help each other

Bradley Gilbert may be new to Vestavia Hills, but the owner of Homewood Flowers and Gifts is already helping the community during a tough time.

When Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills asked the community to show support and unity during the spread of the new coronavirus, Gilbert decided to help by making bows for people to put on mailboxes.

He’s giving the bows away free of charge, but he does ask for donations to help pay for the supplies. The service, he said, helps the city come together while providing some income through donations for him and his family.

So far, Gilbert has delivered about 1,275 bows all over the city.

“It’s been a day and night thing,”he said.

Gilbert said the tremendous response allows the community to come together and show they are thinking of each other, even if they can’t see one another while people try to social distance to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Gilbert is just one of many Vestavia residents who is trying to help the community stay united and upbeat.

While the pandemic has led to the closing of school buildings and many businesses and is prompting many people to stay at least 6 feet apart, it hasn’t stopped Vestavia residents and business people from doing their part to keep the city moving.

Dan Moran, owner of Rocky Ridge Hardware, collected N-95 masks and dust masks and donated them to a hospital.

“It’s pretty scary that that’s the position we’re in,” Moran said of the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The first set of masks, which included about 20 N-95 masks and a few hundred dust masks, were picked up by UAB Infectious Disease Control, and Moran expected to receive more and donate them to medical personnel.

When Gov. Kay Ivey and state Superintendent Eric Mackey announced in March that the school year would be moved online for the rest of the academic year, it raised questions about where students in need could obtain meals.

While the Vestavia Hills school system is providing breakfast and lunch, it did not during the official week of spring break. Leadership Vestavia Hills stepped in, raised money from residents and took it to restaurants, who are also in need of support during this time, to provide lunches for students during spring break.

While the school system is now providing meals, Leadership Vestavia Hills will continue to offer those lunches on Fridays, benefiting students and area restaurants.

Shelley Gentle with Leadership Vestavia Hills said it was a way to kill two birds with one stone, sup-porting students and restaurants.

The initiative has raised more than $8,000, and the group has handed out more than 600 meals. Meals that didn’t go to students were donated to the city’s police and fire departments, Gentle said.

Girl Scouts created snack bags and handed those out with the meals as well, Gentle said.

Area churches have also started providing meals and other things for people in need.

Butch Williams with Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church said his church has placed signs around the city, asking how its members can help, with contact numbers people can call to leave requests.

“They’ve been trickling in,” Williams said.

A meal ministry led by former Vestavia Country Club Chef Charlie Gagny helps lead the way, Williams said.

Being stuck at home can be tough, especially for those who are considered “at-risk” for the disease and need to be very careful about going out.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS

To help alleviate boredom and provide joy in their Greenview Estates neighborhood, Charlie Saunders has performed yo-yo tricks for more than 60 families in the community. Saunders has been yo-yoing since fifth grade and competes nationally.

His mom, Cristina Saunders, posted in her neighborhood Facebook group, asking if anyone would like Charlie to come perform for them. At first, response was slow, but as Saunders’ friends began telling people they just had to see Charlie perform, interest started rising. On the first day they went out, he performed for 15 people.

A few days later, Charlie performed for a little girl who had her 10th birthday party, and then did tricks for a 90-year-old neighbor who watched from her window, his mom said.

Charlie said he has enjoyed performing for people in the neighborhood, providing a much-needed break from the news of the day.

“It’s cool to see how happy it makes people,” he said.

While many are helping others connect to each other, Mountaintop Community Church has provided a way for others to strengthen their faith.

Glyn Denton, communications pastor at Mountaintop, said the church asked its members to create crosses for Easter, but with everything going on, Easter services were moved online. The crosses were moved into the parking lot, where they displayed them on a huge wall, Denton said.

People can now drive through and pray, and can still bring crosses to put up, Denton said.

“It’s had a great response,” Denton said. “Dozens and dozens of families come by and pray.”

One of the church’s slogans is that they are “For Birmingham.”

“The idea we can help is exciting for us,” Denton said. “Prayer is the most important thing we can do right now.”