Photo by Erin Nelson.
The Vestavia Hills Neighborhood Bridges website Oct. 7. Donations can be made to the Neighborhood Bridges program in Vestavia Hills to anonymously help students with various needs that arise throughout the school.
A new program called Neighborhood Bridges allows Vestavia Hills residents to help meet the needs of Vestavia Hills students.
Director of Student Services Jennifer Bailey said conversations began last January, when a parent brought the idea to the school. The program is used in neighboring districts like Hoover City Schools, she said.
“It’s very much community led,” Bailey said.
Anyone who has a need can coordinate with a counselor at their child’s school, who will be the only person who knows the identity of the child and his or her family, Bailey said. From there, needs are posted on the website, neighborhoodbridges.org/community/vestaviahills-al.
Area directors help coordinate picking up items and getting them to the families. Drop-off takes place anonymously at Vestavia Hills Fire Station 1 and Fire Station 4.
Needs can be anything from help with school supplies to cleats, shoes and even helping pay school fees, Bailey said.
“There is need in our community,” Bailey said.
Vestavia Hills is well known for being a relatively affluent area, but that does not mean that there isn’t need, she said.
Meeting needs, whether it be financial or material, helps ensure that students have what they need to engage fully in school.
The area directors are usually those who no longer have students in the system but still want to help, Bailey said.
Karen Cardwell, the area director for Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights, said she ensures details are posted on the site and also posts on the Facebook page, facebook.com/nbVestaviaHills.
“It’s really amazing how people just automatically respond to a need,” Cardwell said.
Cardwell said she isn’t surprised by people helping, as the community is “great.” She’s seen requests for financial assistance, backpacks and more, about 15 to 20 requests since the beginning of August.
“It’s so inspiring and I’m just so glad this is available to help people,” Cardwell said. “It makes you feel pride in your community when you see people stepping up.”
Catherine Alexander-Wright and Lindsey Shar are two other area directors and have built a friendship through the program.
“We didn’t know each other [before] and now we talk quite frequently,” Alexander-Wright said.
Shar said she is “so glad” that she got involved with Neighborhood Bridges. Coming from a school counselor background, Shar said she was asked to get involved last school year, helping with a successful soft launch in the spring.
“It has really taken off,” Shar said.
Snacks are a big need, Shar said. It isn’t easy to learn when you’re hungry, Shar said, and that’s made worse as students experience growth spurts. Hygiene products are another highly requested category, she said.
Alexander-Wright said the response is “immediate.”
“It really is so heartwarming to see the community respond to the needs of the community,” Alexander-Wright said.
For more information, visit the website or Facebook page.
For questions or more information about Neighborhood Bridges, email vestaviahills@neighborhoodbridges.org.
