Radiance Gives is kicking off our second grant cycle of the year with a $5,000 award to First Stop of Huntsville for its Homeless Outreach Initiative.
First Stop encounters the homeless where they are, connects them to critical services and support, and empowers them toward independent sustainable living. First Stop utilizes a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to offer medical care, mental health care, and other services to the homeless community, with a focus on helping individuals exit homelessness. This includes support for homeless veterans, whose needs may be more specialized. First Stop partners with HUD-VASH, Disabled American Veterans, Priority Veteran, and Still Serving Veterans for veteran-specific assistance and resources, as well as employs multiple former service members, who are able to give deeper insight into veteran-specific needs.
With this grant, First Stop will be able to provide critical outreach supplies and services to homeless individuals living in camps and on the streets in Huntsville. Nearly 2,400 care packs are distributed each year, which include non-perishable foods and toilet paper. Other items like tents, sleeping bags, tarps, mosquito nets, and bug spray are distributed as needed. First Stop’s Outreach Team also helps with obtaining vital records (such as birth certificates, social security cards, or government-issued IDs) – documents which are necessary to apply for benefits, housing, or even to stay in a temporary shelter.
First Stop’s approach emphasizes empowering, not enabling, the homeless community by addressing immediate health and safety needs in the camps, while connecting individuals with the tools and resources to empower them back into independent sustainable living. For more information about First Stop Huntsville, or to donate or volunteer, please visit https://firststop.org/.
Radiance Gives was established in 2022 and is an employee-run charitable organization benefiting the communities where we work and live. Both Radiance employees and the company can contribute to make grants to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in our employees’ local communities. For more information on Radiance Gives, or to apply for a grant, please visit https://www.radiancetech.com/radiance-gives/.