The past week and a half had felt more like a month and a half with school closures on top of business closures on top of all the layers of COVID-19 pandemic news that are flooding our lives. But Vestavia Hills is uniting together (with social distance) through it all. Here’s how.

1. Share What You Have

Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware donated its remaining N95 respirators and dust masks to area health care professionals who are seeing shortages of them. Likewise, Vestavia Hills High School and Pizitz Middle School donated their science masks and other protective gear to local hospitals.

2. Masks on Demand

Speaking of face masks, Cahaba Heights clothing designer Julie Maeseele is advocating sewing them for medical professionals and has posted guidelines for sewing them on social media as has The Smocking Bird in Homewood and wedding dress designer Heidi Elnora.

3. United by Bows

As families started to stay home to self quarantine last week, Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills encouraged everyone in the community to put a red, white or blue bow—or even a wrapping bow or hair bow or whatever they had—on your mailbox to remind us we are all in this together. Before long, orders for bows started flooding into local shops like Flower Buds, and their fruit is now adding an extra bright spot as community members walk around their neighborhoods.

4. For the Firefighters

Liberty Park Middle School has given extra digital thermometers and boxes of disposable thermometer probe covers to the Vestavia Hills Fire Department. Firefighters and medics are now required to check their temperatures throughout the day as part of a new COVID-19 wellness protocol, so they were short on supplies. “We had a good supply of the probe covers, and so we were happy to be able to donate these to first responders,” LPMS Principal Tonya Rozell says.

5. Bags to Keep ‘Em Busy

As kids were home from school a week before spring break was scheduled, Monograms Plus gave away activity bags with coloring, stickers, crafts and more for children ages 6 months to 8 years and even delivered them to cars. At least one young customer took the bags to her neighborhood friends and left them on their doorsteps.

6. Curbside Dining in Action

Many Vestavia Hills restaurants are still open and offering curbside and delivery services for food and drinks. While most retailers have had to close their doors, some offer online shopping and gift cards you can buy to support them financially now and use to shop when they open. It’s also a great time to leave an extra tip for small business owners and those who work in the service industry whose finances are strained by all that’s going on with COVID-19.

Here’s a list of Vestavia Hills restaurants we know of that are open for takeout and delivery. For updates on restaurant offerings, check the chamber’s running list too.

  • Ashley Mac’s
  • Baumhower’s Victory Grill
  • bistro V
  • Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
  • Cajun Seafood House
  • Chick-fil-A Vestavia Hills
  • China Bistro
  • City Bowls
  • Crestline Bagel Company
  • Diplomat Deli
  • Donatos Pizza
  • El Poblano
  • El ZunZún
  • Everything Iz
  • Fig Tree Café
  • First Watch
  • Honeybaked Ham
  • Jimmy John’s
  • Johnny Brusco’s New York Style Pizza
  • Klingler’s
  • Lette Macarons
  • Martin’s BBQ
  • Masaman Thai Kitchen- takeout or Door Dash
  • Milo’s
  • Miss Myra’s BBQ
    Moe’s Original BBQ
  • Mudtown Eat and Drink
  • Newk’s Eatery
  • On Tap Sports Café
  • Pappas’ Grill Red Lobster
  • Satterfield’s Restaurant
  • Slice Pizza & Brewhouse
  • Samurai
  • Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea
  • Sol Azteca
  • Taziki’s
  • The Pita Stop
  • The Ridge
  • Twister Root Burger Co.
  • Your Pie Liberty Park

How are you seeing neighbors helping neighbors in this season of COVID-19, and/or where do you see local needs for financial or volunteer support? We’re collecting more stories to share online, on social media and in print. Email Editor Madoline Markham at mm@vestaviahillsmagazine.com with any stories or information you’d like to pass on, or message @vestaviahillsmag on Facebook or Instagram.