Birmingham Free Store Flooded Due to Landlord Negligence

Call to support the Birmingham Free Store located in Birmingham, Alabama, which after suffering rain damage, is now looking for a new location. 

The Birmingham Free Store, a radical queer and anarchist space in Birmingham, Alabama, was flooded early Thursday morning (June 6th) when a poorly-secured tarp on its roof came undone and allowed the morning’s rains to enter through several holes in the roof. The roof’s repairs were being handled by the building’s landlord, completely out of the control of the Free Store’s organizers and volunteers. As a result, much of what was inside, including the entire library and free school section, was destroyed beyond repair. The collective is now looking for a new location.

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Hey free store family. We've had a bit of a set back. Our landlord was working on the roof of our building and didn't secure their tarp over night. The whole store is flooded and completely out of commission. Lots of stuff is destroyed beyond repair, including our entire library section. At this point, we don't know what the future holds. We'll be closed today and tomorrow and just play it by ear after that. Keep your eyes open for updates, including a clean up day that may be happening soon. In the mean time, PLEASE consider donanting to our venmo (@bhamfreestore), and becoming a donor via our patreon (patreon.com/bhamfreestore). We'll need all the support we can get right now. #freestore #mutualaid #anarchy

A post shared by The Birmingham Free Store (@bhamfreestore) on Jun 6, 2019 at 12:28pm PDT

The Birmingham Free Store has been providing mutual aid in the historically poor and majority black Northside neighborhood of Birmingham by collecting donations of clothing, media, furnishings, and so on, and then making them available for anyone to take. It has also distributed reproductive justice products and baby supplies provided by the Yellowhammer Fund – which will soon become even more crucial after the passing of AL HB-314, a state bill to block access to abortions in Alabama – and has been building a food justice garden in the lot behind the building as well. On top of that, it’s served as a fantastic queer-inclusive space in Birmingham, hosting tons of concerts and other events to help bring the community together.

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We got some updates on our situation, y'all. Help us by sharing this info far and wide, as well as keeping an eye out for future events, such as pop up shops or clean up days!! We'll get through this together, y'all. #anarchy #freestore #update #mutualaid #birminghamalabama

A post shared by The Birmingham Free Store (@bhamfreestore) on Jun 8, 2019 at 7:58am PDT

You can support the Free Store by contributing to its Venmo @bhamfreestore, or joining its Patreon, which also allows you to participate in the store’s decision-making process. Further announcements will be posted to our Instagram and Facebook, for anyone in or near Birmingham who’s willing to show up and help. The store will also be looking for donations that can be dropped off once it reopens in a new location.