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By Sydney Melson and Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
COVID-19 vaccination sites are opening around Jefferson County, and growing numbers of citizens are receiving shots but some wonder whether the homeless population is being overlooked.
“It is incredibly important that the homeless population is not forgotten,” said Anne Wright Rygiel, executive director of the Firehouse Ministries, a homeless shelter that has provided services to the Birmingham community since 1983. “This is still congregate living and housing. … We’re all grouped together, and we do the best we can.”
Having a COVID-19 vaccination plan is extremely important for area emergency shelters, said Gordon Sullivan, Director of Operations for One Roof, the umbrella organization for agencies fighting to prevent and end homelessness in the Birmingham metro area. “Even with social distancing and mask wearing, there is still a risk of viral spread among our most vulnerable citizens experiencing homelessness
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Chuck Chandler
Brother Bryan Mission of Birmingham has completed the second-largest purchase in its 80-year history, paying $340,000 for a neighboring building in an effort to soon provide beds for 100 men.
The city’s oldest mission currently is able to house 76 men for its addiction recovery and back-to-work programs, said Executive Director Jim Etheredge, who heads a 20-man staff. In addition to the headquarters at 1616 2nd Ave. N., Brother Bryan Mission added the 10,000-square-foot building at 1608 2nd Ave. N. in 2012, and the parking lot at 1620 2nd Ave. N., in 2015.
The latest addition at 1630 2nd Ave. N. has been an expansion target of the mission for years, but the cost was beyond the organization’s financial means. After the property was on the market for several years, negotiations resulted in a lower price.