What to do if you have issues in the park

Avondale Park is open for all to enjoy, but there are rules and regulations in place to keep the park safe. Friends of Avondale Park recently began working with the Urban Alchemy organization to address issues at the park involving unhoused individuals who occasionally cause disturbances.

Urban Alchemy’s Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) is assisting the city by responding to non-emergency calls. Artie Gilbert, director of operations for Urban Alchemy in Birmingham, said the goal of the program is to develop consistent, relationship-based outreach that connects with individuals over time rather than simply telling people to move along. Gilbert says more than 95 percent of Urban Alchemy’s staff has had personal experience with homelessness, incarceration and / or drug use, so they often are able to empathize and communicate with unhoused individuals.

Gilbert stresses that visitors to the park should not attempt to directly approach anyone causing a disturbance. Instead, he urges people to utilize the Urban Alchemy call center – either 311 or 205-782-0202 – which is staffed daily from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Of course, always call 911 for emergency situations.