The Firehouse Shelter. Photo by Rebecca Sheehan.
Father’s Day for Firehouse: Men’s shelter hosts annual Dining for Dads benefit
On Thursday, June 18, the Firehouse Shelter will use diners’ dollars to support dads in need with their sixth Dining for Dads fundraiser. More than 15 restaurants in Birmingham, Gardendale, Homewood, Hoover and Trussville will donate a portion of sales to continuing the positive impact of the Firehouse’s outreach missions.
The Firehouse has operated as a men’s homeless shelter since 1983. The shelter offers affordable housing to over 213 people per night and serves at least 300 men daily by providing meals, clothing and transportation to art therapy and the YMCA.
“We are known as the area’s only homeless men’s emergency shelter that does not have a specific time limit on the length of the stay,” the shelter’s website reads. “This means two things: first, the guests served by The Firehouse Shelter are more chronically homeless; and second, the Firehouse Shelter staff and volunteers are able to establish a deeper involvement with every man.”
This deeper connection forged with the men helps the staff discover the specific challenges that are the roots of their homelessness, the website explained. The Firehouse offers free addiction recovery programs, legal counsel, GED and literacy tutoring and transportation to mental health professionals and job interviews.
“Over 90 percent of our guests who enter the Shelter leave for housing, mental health or substance abuse treatment,” the website says. “To accomplish this with chronically homeless men (of whom make up 67 percent of our guests) takes time, and what we do best is to patiently and diligently walk with these men one step-at-a-time to re-weave them back into the fabric of society.”
According to Firehouse’s development director, Doug Kovash, last year’s Dining for Dads event raised about $2,000. Diners will mention Firehouse’s fundraiser and 10 to 20 percent of their ticket will be donated to the shelter.
Participating restaurants and applicable meals include:
Bottega Cafe, 2240 Highland Ave. S. All day.
Buffalo Wild Wings, 2505 Caufield Drive, Gardendale. All day.
Buffalo Wild Wings, 2772 John Hawkins Pkwy, Hoover. All day.
Chik Fil A, 211 Lakeshore Pkwy, Homewood. All day.
Chris Z’s, 2808 University Blvd. Lunch.
Cosmo’s Pizza, 2012 Magnolia Ave. All day.
DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant, 2707 18th St. S., Homewood. All day.
Giuseppe’s Cafe, 925 Eighth St. S. All day.
Hamburger Heaven, 180 Oxmoor Rd. Homewood. All day.
Momma Goldberg’s Deli, 2829 18th St. S., Homewood. All day.
Overtime Grill & Bar, 100 Frankfurt Circle. All day.
Sweet Tea, 2205 Third Ave S. All day.
Ted’s Restaurant, 328 12th St. S. Breakfast and lunch.
The Baskit’s Restaurant, 801 Green Springs Highway, Homewood. All day.
The Firehouse Shelter is located at 1501 Third Avenue North. For more information, to receive help or to volunteer, go to firehouseshelter.com or call (205) 252-9571.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
Beer on the Back Porch — Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. 1214 81st St. S. Local craft beer, food and live music converge in this fundraising event for Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve. The Steel City Jug Slammers, Evans Meats, Crestwood Coffee, Cahaba Brewing Company and Terrapin Beer Company will contribute to the evening’s festivities. 6–10 p.m. $25. For more information, call (205) 833-8264, ext. 17.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13
Bark and Wine — Inverness Country Club. 1 Country Club Dr. This benefit dinner and auction supports the Shelby County Humane Society, which cares for more than 5,000 animals annually. Complimentary wine and beer will be served during the silent auction, followed by a buffet and live auction. 6–9 p.m. $150. For more information, call (205) 669-3916.
Dinner Lab Experience: Summer in the City — Venue to be announced. The second Dinner Lab experience of 2015, Summer in the City, will benefit the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center. When the Lab’s crew of renegade chefs descends once again upon Birmingham, adventurous diners will have a chance to attend the five-course dinner with a surprise menu at an undisclosed location. Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m. $125. For more information, visit dinnerlab.com.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
Vine Cliff Wine Dinner — Gianmarco’s. 721 Broadway St. Rob Sweeney, owner and general manager of Napa Valley’s Vine Cliff Winery, and Chef Giani Respinto will collaborate to present a wine dinner featuring the acclaimed limited-production wines of this sustainably farmed estate in the Oakville appellation of the Napa Valley. 6 p.m. $125. For reservations, call (205) 871-9622.
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
Ten Percent Tuesday — Rojo. 2921 Highland Ave. S. This Tuesday, ten percent of dinner and drink sales will benefit the nonprofit Birthwell Partners, which trains community doulas to provide pregnant women and teens in Central Alabama with information and physical and emotional support during the birthing and breastfeeding processes. Menu prices vary. 5 p.m.–close. For more information, call (205) 328-4733.
Birmingham Science Café — John’s City Diner. 112 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N. Every third Tuesday, John’s City Diner and McWane Science Center give the floor to different scientific professionals during this dinner, trivia and lecture event. This month, learn the ins and outs of Alabama’s biodiversity with Scot Duncan, author and assistant professor of biology at Birmingham Southern College. 6–8 p.m. For more information, visit mcwane.org.
Alabama Brewers Guild Annual Meeting — Avondale Brewing Company. 201 41st St S. Open to industry partners and Alabama Brewers Guild members, the afternoon kicks off with a complimentary Saw’s BBQ lunch followed by the State of the Industry presentation, guild announcements and guest speaker Othni Lathram, director of the Alabama Law Institute and chief of staff for the upcoming Alabama Alcoholic Beverage study group. 12–3 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, email Dan Roberts at droberts@albeer.org.
Art Break — Birmingham Museum of Art. 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. Every Tuesday, the Birmingham Museum of Art invites the public to spend its lunch break with a tour and arts discussion. This week, University of Alabama at Birmingham curatorial fellow Ruoxin Wang will don the deerstalker to uncover the artist behind the early modern painting “Judith.” Following the tour, guests will receive a free dessert with their purchase of a lunch from Oscar’s Café. 12–12:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit artsbma.org.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
Plant It, Plant It, Pick It, Drink It! — Birmingham Botanical Gardens. 2612 Lane Park Rd. Birmingham writer and bartender Clair McLafferty will guide attendees through history of vodka and demonstrate some popular vodka cocktails including the Moscow mule, berry smash and cucumber basil gimlet using fresh garden herbs and fruits. 6–8 p.m. $20. For more information, visit bbgardens.org.
