Year In Review: 2021 From Our Executive Director As I write this letter, it’s hard for me to believe that I am already in my 8th month at First Stop. Time is moving quickly, and so many good things are happening here. Becoming the Executive Director of First Stop has been both exciting and exhilarating. …
Assisting With Homeless Camp Relocation: In May 2021, residents in the Cleveland Avenue homeless camp were notified by the Huntsville Police Department that they had 6 months to vacate the property due to drainage construction. At that time, approximately 60 people were staying at the Cleveland Camp. Through the efforts of First Stop, the Huntsville…
They say a worker can only be as good as the tools they use, and that may very well be true. In the world of case management, there are several tools available to help manage all the documentation and progression associated with assisting a client. For First Stop and many other organizations in Huntsville /…
As the nation recovers from COVID-19, our homeless community needs us now more than ever. There are many ways you can give back. Through agencies like First Stop, it’s easy to volunteer your time or resources to help the homeless return to independent, sustainable living. Want to make an impact? Here are ways you can…
First Stop is proud to introduce Jennifer Geist as our new Executive Director. Jennifer Geist joins First Stop with over 25 years of corporate and nonprofit leadership experience. Jennifer joins First Stop with more than 25 years of experience in employee and community engagement, public relations, program development, and corporate leadership. Most recently, she’s held…
Buy One, Give One campaign was a success! For every “Heart of Huntsville” shirt purchased, a shirt was donated to a friend in the homeless community. This morning, our friends at Fow Wow dropped off 100 t-shirts!! Way to go Huntsville!
Want to make a big impact on the homeless community, but aren’t sure where to start? For some, giving back means dropping off food, clothing or other comfort items at the city’s homeless camps. For others, it means bringing propane tanks to help homeless residents stay warm in the elements. Although the intent is always…
We hear the word “homeless” all the time, but what does it really mean? At the most basic level, homeless means to be without an adequate home or shelter. But, like most things, the condition itself is more complicated than that. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), homelessness falls into…
In 2019, 17 out of every 10,000 people in the United States were homeless on a single night. That represents more than 500,000 Americans from every region, gender, racial or ethnic group, and family status, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Annual Point-in-Time Count. Trends in homelessness Wondering where things…
Our Executive Director Tim, a Retired Air Force Officer and private pilot, visited Bob Jones today to teach a class for the Air Force ROTC. He gave a lesson on flying navigation with aeronautical charts and plotters. They had a great time planning a flight from Huntsville, AL to Jasper, GA!