I am down on my luck and First Stop was there to pick me up and gave me a sense of pride again. The staff is awesome and amazing they just don't know that they saved me. God's presence is just amazing in this center. I love this place so much.
Friendly and very helpful service everybody.
They are awesome keep it up guys !! Serve the lord and encourage others but I believe that yall are doing a great job get it done and make the Lord happy with your work and try yalls best cause yall do. Great staff I love them like family . My gang gang for real God's army
They don't have any statics to show you how many women and children they have placed in housing. What they do for you. There are only two shelters you can go to Downtown Rescue Mission and Salvation Army. What does God and have to do with this. All the Christian want are your money .
Well...it takes an act of God and a visit from the owner of the facility plus Mayor intercession to get absolutely anything accomplished....beyond food, coffee, basic survival needs....good luck getting Jason the Case Manager to do anything.....but if you enjoy good company, coffee, food and routine appearances by HPD....well it might be for you....but if you actually require bus tickets, housing, or help with medication .....it would be better off funded by a reality show....because basically what this place is babysitter's club for the homeless.
First Stop has impacted some of my closest friends at 8th Street Community. Their case managers eradicated homelessness for my friends.
This is a great place to go if you are homeless. They offer a 15 minute shower on a first come first served basis if you sign the shower list when you first arrive. You can sign up to receive mail here. They have hygiene products, over the counter medicine, they feed you every day that they are open both breakfast and lunch. It does help to get there early, because it does get crowded fast. DO NOT LEAVE ANY OF YOUR VALUABLES UNATTENDED, THEY WILL GROW LEGS AND WALK OFF. Also one stop is in a bad neighborhood, so outside of one stop, watch your surroundings. They do offer a case manager but you must show up for 10 days, not in a row, they give you a punch card that must have 10 punches on it before you can be assigned a case worker. I don't really know exactly what more they do other than point you to what you are looking for.
They provide a meal and showers, but I know a couple of people who were going to 1st stop because they were truly wanting help and truly wanted off drugs and a new start to their lives, I hope the new director is better I'll leave that at that. Each question ask as far as actual help to the people who were honestly seeking an wanting better, each request was " Oh,we don't help with this But if you need anything else just let me know " it didn't matter what the request ask was the answer was always the same reply. The facility did enjoy the free labor getting the garden's built,started, building in the back built but it is like so very many of this type of organizations, they want your donations of money but such little help provided. The old director did ride around in very new expensive vehicles. I was shocked but mainly disappointed in things that went on and what, how people are treated and the little done to help the homeless including some of the homeless Veterans that also lived in the Tent city very close to the building. I decided when I help I go myself into the camp to donate. I know many people are scared to go into the actual camp especially alone. Just take someone with you if you are afraid, you can't show fear to some that are there due to mental illness and yes I always had my buddy on my hip. But there truly are some very good people in the homeless camps,and they need help if nothing else food,water, sleeping bags, ect. Your little bit you yourself provides is a LOT more than almost all of the organizations do for them.
I just phoned these people because I was told they are hosting a community Thanksgiving. I am stranded in town and unable to go live in my own home. My interstate stalker is squatting in it. I politely told the guy I couldn't get by there right now and asked him if I needed to register or anything and he told me I was not welcome. Who does that?
Organization has excellent approach to helping the homeless escape homelessness. Easy process for donations, especially timely with Urgent Needs bulletin updated weekly.
