It’s mid-May, which means the weather has jumped from “warm” to “WHOA”. Let’s chill out with some Bham Now stories.

May 17th.

Pay as You Can. Pay it Forward.
Urban Ministry’s WE Café knows healthy food. This wholesome li’l café in West End opened up as a “pay as you can” eatery that serves healthy and locally-sourced food. $5 covers your food, $10 covers food + labor, and $15 does it all and cover’s someone else’s meal. Approximately 80% can’t pay, and 20% pay it forward. Read more about WE Café and check out their fundraiser on May 25^th.

Condoleezza <3’s Bham
Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a stop at the Brookwood Books-A-Million for her book signing of Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom. Dr. Rice grew up in Titusville during the Civil Rights era and later became the first female African-American US Sec. of State and the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor. Bham Now was able to interview Dr. Rice about her new book, Birmingham’s Civil Rights history, and her thoughts on Birmingham’s progress. She’s a pretty big deal.

When Storytelling Won’t Get You in Trouble
Ever been to Arc Stories? It’s an in-the-moment storytelling event from real people, and it’s special to Birmingham. Each month features a topic, and storytellers are encouraged to send in their story. Six stories get chosen, and those tellers get a crash course in storytelling for the pretty-much-always-sold-out event. The venues rotate, but Arc Stories is usually held at the beautiful Avon theater in Lakeview. Each event has a different highlighted charity, and Church Street Coffee has coffee and cookies at every event. My first Arc Stories experience was the Halloween event. I went alone and ended up sitting beside a Bham Now reader, so you’ll be in good company. Next event is June 10^th.

Treat Yo’ Troops
Send a bag of Joe Muggs Coffee to US soldiers = infinite American points. It’s easy, too. All you have to do is head to your fav Books-A-Million location (or visit online from the comfort of your p-jams), purchase a bag, and have it sent off. For every five bags purchases, BAM! is donating one more. To make this possible, BAM! partners with Soldiers’ Angels, a charity that aids and supports U.S. armed forces and veterans. The campaign is in full effect through May 30^th.

Bees Stay Free
A few weeks ago, we highlighted Woodlawn High’s Urban Farm that is made possible in partnership with Jones Valley Teaching Farms. This week, we’re bringing you another school farm at Putnam Middle School. Putnam’s set up is a little oasis off from the hustle and bustle. The farm has a cistern, compost pile, veggies, a pond, and even a bee hotel! It’s the most adorable thing. Next week, their student-designed greenhouse will be officially open. Read more about Putnam’s teaching farm here.

That’s So Fetch
If you’re looking for a job, you might have noticed the alluring-yet-secretive online listings from recruiting agencies. Fetch Talent has a solution for you. Think of it as a Tinder for your career–except this connection ends in a happy marriage. You make your profile on Fetch, and you get automatically matched to companies looking for talent like yourself. You can choose to pass or pursue with no strings attached. FINALLY. A job search made easy.

Cyclin’ in the City
Our #SmallBizSpotlight this week is all about Redemptive Cycles, which isn’t just a business, or a non-profit, but what many people would lovingly refer to as a fam. RC started out as a side project to help out some folks who needed bikes, and now it’s a full service shop that sells, repairs, refurbishes, and donates bikes. Their Earn-a-Bike Program lets volunteers give 12 hours of their time to earn a bike, helmet, lock, and light. In addition to the insane amount of charity RC contributes, they also host a weekly bike ride around the city for riders of all levels. It’s all about community here. None of that elitist junk in these parts!

Go Ask Alys
It’s that time of year–festivals and concerts and lineups are droppin’ like it’s hot (also, literally–it’s 90 degrees outside). A lineup in particular we’re excited about is the Alys Stephens 2017-2018 season. You’ll have the chance to experience contemporary dance from Ballet Hispánico, music from Dionne Warwisk, Emmylou Harris (swoon), and Sheila-E (female drummer extrordinaire), among other insanely talented artists. See the full lineup here and go ahead and purchase tickets. They’re on sale today!

A Little Birder Told Me
Thanks to the birders of Birmingham, us regular bird-watchers can see some fantastic photos of our feathery friends hanging out in Bham parks. Be sure to check out the second photo. That green heron is a total rock star. P.S. There’s a big difference in “birding” and “bird-watching”. An English professor of mine totally schooled a classmate on it one time. Get it right.

Taking the “pain” out of “campaign”
Catch up on the latest municipal election candidate interviews.

Top 3 Events This Week

Ride of Silence @ Cahaba Cycles. Honoring those injured or killed and raising awareness for bicycles and the need for better cycling amenities. Tonight, May 17th. 7PM. FREE.
79-cent Pork Chop Friday lunch @ Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille. Available to the first 100 people in line. Friday, May 19th. 11AM. 79 cents + tip! 21+. Sorry, youngsters.
Do Dah Day @ Caldwell and Rhodes Parks. A fest for the dogs. Bham Now will see you there. Saturday, May 20th. 11AM. FREE.

PLUS: Check out Producer James’ top 10 picks for the week. Because it’s really hard to only choose 3, ya’ll.

Want more? We’ve been busy adding over 2,300 events to the Bham Now calendar.

Bite-sized
Guide: A Birmingham guide to “just getting a job”
Weather: It’s just really hot, okay? But if you must know, average daytime temps in the high 80s/low 90s with some possible rain and thunderstorms early next week.
Eat: Birmingham-style dog from The Standard in Pizitz. It’s a brand spankin’ new food stall.
Job: Software Engineer @ EBSCO. Apply.
Adorable and Adoptable: Meet Prentiss, the kitty who will sit and binge Criminal Minds with you all weekend.

Friends, tell me about a place I need to be or an event I simply cannot miss. I’ll try my darnedest to be there and give you a shout out for helping me not be a hermit.

It’s pretty much vacation time. Make sure to throw around some nice words about Birmingham in your travels. I’ll be sure to do the same when I see a tourist here in a Hawaiian shirt. As always, thanks for reading Bham Now.

Hunter Holland, Producer
Let me know what’s up – hunter@bhamnow.com