Volume 2 | Issue 5 | September 2014
Back to the track
A call for something more
The VHHS cross-country team looks ahead at the upcoming season. Find out about this year’s team inside this issue.
See page B11
A day to remember
Local race to benefit ministry started by Vestavia resident By KATIE TURPEN
The cities of Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Homewood will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Vestavia Hills City Center. Details inside.
See page A6
INSIDE Summer Fun........A2 City .......................A5 Business ..............A8 Food ......................A11
Community ........A12 School House.....B6 Sports .................B10 Calendar .............B13
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On a windy Sunday afternoon in downtown Birmingham, a group of volunteers gathers in a parking lot. As they unload cars, unfold tables and set out food, a long line of people forms, awaiting a hot meal. Jim McFarland shakes hands and gives out water bottles.
Vestavia resident Jim McFarland hands out water bottles as part of a weekly meal served in downtown Birmingham. His ministry, Urban Purpose, provides a variety of services to those in need. Photo by Katie Turpen.
“Everyone here has a different story,” said the Vestavia Hills resident. “We don’t know if they just came off a train or are staying somewhere around here. We are just here to talk to them and serve them the best way we can.” This weekly meal is just one of many ways McFarland, his business partner Mark Jenkins and a wide net of volunteers serve the homeless of Birmingham through their nonprofit
organization, Urban Purpose. Formed in 2010, the ministry helps people through services such as counseling, addiction recovery and employment assistance. This month, Shades Mountain Baptist Church will host a 5K race to raise funds for the nonprofit. It all began when McFarland felt the call for
See MINISTRY | page A18
A new Wald Park Three-phase plan underway to improve park facilities
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By KATIE TURPEN Councilman Steve Ammons recalls playing at Wald Park as a child. He and other residents see the area as a special community gathering place. That is why the city is examining a plan to prolong the longevity of the site. Wald Park currently features several baseball fields, a walking track, the Vestavia Hills pool, picnic areas,
See WALD PARK | page A19
Reagan, daughter of Emerson Emfinger, enjoys a morning at Wald Park with her mother. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
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