Meet Greg. Until March of 2022, Greg had been homeless for nearly eight years. But at First Stop, we know that homeless doesn’t mean hopeless and that it takes consistency and trust to help someone back into independent living. Hannah, one of our Case Managers, first met Greg in the summer of 2021. Through regular…
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We hardly ever think about the distances we walk unless we are doing something special like visiting a theme park or playing a round of golf. An average visitor to Disney World walks over 8 miles per day. A golfer walking 18 holes will typically cover 5 miles in an afternoon. If you rent a…
The city of Huntsville is growing and so is its homeless population. And Alabama is not unique in these changes. According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge in a recent press release, “Homelessness in the United States was increasing even before COVID-19, and we know the pandemic has only made the crisis worse.” The increase…
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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. …
The “Why” Behind What We Do Our Day Center provides meals, showers, access to laundry facilities — services to meet the immediate needs of the homeless community. However, the magic of First Stop lies in the strength of our case management program. Our Homeless-to-Housed case managers work diligently with clients, assessing individual barriers and developing…
In one of his lesser-known songs called Half A Mile Away, Billy Joel describes a world he escaped to as a youth to get away from some of the unpleasant realities of his regular life. In this world, he was with his friends laughing, telling stories (and lies), and flirting with girls. He describes this…
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 /…