Hope Community

08/06/2026

🌻🐝 Join Us for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census! 🦋🌸

Hope Community is excited to join the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, a region-wide citizen science effort led by the UGA Cooperative Extension and the Center for Urban Agriculture. We invite our community to help us count the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that play such an important role in keeping our ecosystems healthy.

No experience or registration is required—just drop in and participate!

How it works: Simply choose a flowering plant, observe it for a 15-minute period, and record each pollinator that visits. Stay for one counting session or several—every observation helps!

Bring a lawn chair or blanket, pick up a tally sheet when you arrive, and spend a morning connecting with nature while contributing to an important scientific project. Together, we can help protect pollinators, support local biodiversity, and learn more about the incredible insects that keep our gardens and food systems thriving.

📅 When: Saturday, August 22
🕘 Time: 9:00–11:00 a.m.
📍 Where: Anna T. Jeanes School Pollinator Garden
6925 Twin Beech Rd., Fairhope, AL

🌼 We hope to see you in the garden!

08/04/2026

Our August Volunteer of the Month is Vickie Graham 💙

A Hope Community Board Director and fourth-generation Fairhope South resident, Vickie has been part of Hope Community from the very beginning. She believes deeply in creating spaces where people can come together, have honest conversations, and build relationships that bridge racial differences. She continues to champion our round table discussions, reminding us that healing begins when we listen, learn, and grow together.

Whether organizing community events like our May Day celebration or welcoming neighbors into meaningful dialogue, Vickie leads with joy, wisdom, and a heart for unity. Her faith has been the foundation of her service, and she sees Hope Community as part of God's plan for bringing people together with compassion, grace, and respect for every point of view.

Thank you, Vickie, for faithfully living out our mission of nurturing unity and relationships through food, healing, and education. We are so grateful for you! ❤️

Read more of Vickie's story at: https://hopecommunityal.org/volunteer-spotlight-vickie-graham/

07/27/2026

What a productive day we had at Hope Community Garden yesterday! 🙌 ☀️ Thanks to the energy and teamwork of twelve volunteers, we moved a gazebo, prepped beds, pulled weeds, and harvested 25 pounds of fresh produce. We are grateful to Lindsay Lefever for her thoughtful planning. Fairhope Sunset Rotary Club Members, Joyce, Alodia, James, Kaden, Alice, Tom, Mike S, Mike N, Bob, and Joe worked alongside loyal Hope Community volunteers, Jimbo, Sarah, Gil, and Ann. We appreciate every single one of you. 💚

07/23/2026

🔔✨ Do you have a story about a close call, last-minute save, or unexpected twist?

Join us at the The Book Cellar at Page & Palette on Thursday, August 13th, for another engaging Story Slam, presented by Fairhope Storytellers and Hope Community.

Theme: 🔔 Saved by the Bell: Last-Minute Reprieves

📍 Where: The Book Cellar at Page & Palette
📅 When: Thursday, August 13th

🎤 Storyteller Schedule & Rules:
• 5:30 PM – Registration opens
• 6:00 PM – 12 names drawn
• 6:15 PM – Slam begins!
(6-min max • True, personal stories • No notes/props • Musical instrument accompaniment allowed • Respect for all)

This event is always FREE & open to the public.

Bring your best story—or simply come ready to laugh, reflect, and be inspired. See you there! ❤️

07/21/2026

Let’s get growing! 🌱 Help us prepare the beds for the fall season at our next Volunteer Workday.
✨ Saturday, July 25 | 8–10 AM
✨ BYO-Gloves 🧤 (We’ll handle the rest!)
See you in the garden! 🌻

07/14/2026

Healthy meets gourmet at our August FoodRx Coastal Brunch! 🌊🍳 Join Executive Chef Matt Palamara for an afternoon of tantalizing flavors and culinary inspiration!

Chef Matt is the director of Coastal Alabama Community College’s Culinary Arts program and a Certified Executive Chef by the American Culinary Federation. He'll be showing us how to whip up a delicious brunch that features incredible options for everyone—including vegans and vegetarians!

✨ The Menu:
• Jackfruit breakfast hash
• Huevos rancheros breakfast casserole
• Strawberry salad with tomato, cucumber, burrata, avocado, and mint pesto
• Shrimp and grits
• Crepes with lemon yogurt and fresh berries

🗓️ Event Details:
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: USA Health Mapp Family Teaching Kitchen
21950 Hwy. 181
Fairhope, AL 36532

Spaces fill up fast, so grab your spot today!

👉 REGISTER HERE: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/august-2026-foodrx-with-matt-palamara

07/11/2026

07/11/2026

🎒✨ Fairhope’s Back-to-School Family Night is coming up, and everyone is welcome! Join our community Wednesday, July 22nd for an evening of family fun, connection, and back-to-school prep.

🗓️ Wednesday, July 22 | 3:00–7:00 p.m.
⛪ The Life Center at Fairhope United Methodist Church
🍽️ Free Family Dinner at 5:00 p.m. 💛

Free resources include school supplies, haircuts, sports physicals, and water bottles—plus you can meet local community partners, firefighters, and even play basketball with Fairhope police officers!

Let’s show up for our kids. 🙌

07/10/2026

⚓ **Speaker Spotlight: Chief Jason Lewis** ⚓

Join us Tuesday, August 25th, at 5:30 p.m. for an uplifting presentation by Chief Petty Officer Jason Lewis. After his presentation, Chief Lewis will give us questions to spark in-depth round table discussions.

An Africatown native and Clotilda descendant, Chief Lewis spent twenty four years in the U.S. Navy before returning home to focus on community restoration. Through his non-profit organization, VETS (Visualize Everyone That Serves), he brings his military leadership to local initiatives, uniting community volunteers for neighborhood cleanups, historic preservation, and youth gardening projects, including the Africatown Memorial Gardens.

Come learn how he has helped build stronger communities through his creative and collaborative spirit.

📍When: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 5:30 p.m.
Where: Fairhope United Methodist Church Life Center
Location: 155 South Section Street, Fairhope, AL

Learn more:

• Chief Lewis's passion for youth volunteerism: https://youtu.be/5oCeyuYN8CY?si=KYH50_5rH1H7TMwd

• Visualize Everyone That Serves (VETS): https://visualizeeveryonethetserves.com/

• "Rewilding the Classroom": https://stemmingthetide.weebly.com/blog/rewilding-the-classroom-with-al-yass