Stopping for the One in Front of You

I was born here in Huntsville and with the exception of several years overseas, this has always been home for me. It’s where I grew up, where I chose to come back and raise my family, and where I’ve watched this city change over time.

I’m a parent to two children, one who is 20 and one who is 15. Like many people, much of my life is spent balancing responsibility, work, and the hope that we’re doing right by the people we love.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in business, an MBA, and I’m currently a doctoral student, so I understand planning, structure, and outcomes.

In 2024, I retired from my previous career. I thought that chapter was closing.

But just a few short months later, I found myself drawn to the work of First Stop. Not because I was looking for another role, and not because this was part of a plan, but because some callings don’t wait for convenient timing.

What I saw at First Stop was honest work being done quietly. People being met where they were. A mission rooted in dignity, not speed.

Living life here in Huntsville and raising kids here, watching this city grow, and walking alongside people in very different seasons of life has taught me something no degree or other experience ever could.

People are not spreadsheets.And communities are not built by growth alone.

That belief is what led me to serve as Executive Director of First Stop, and it shapes everything we do.

Homelessness in a Growing City

When people hear that I lead First Stop, they often ask, “How bad is homelessness really in Huntsville?”

They expect numbers. Comparisons. Statistics.

And yes, Huntsville is growing fast. Downtown is fuller than it’s ever been. Bridge Street is packed on a Saturday afternoon. Redstone continues to expand. There is a lot to be proud of.

But just a few miles from all of that, along Memorial Parkway, behind shopping centers, and near industrial areas most of us pass every day, people are trying to survive quietly in the middle of all this progress.

Last year alone, 2,345 unique people came to First Stop seeking assistance. More than 1,400 of them had never been seen before.

On an average day, more than 300 unique individuals pass through our doors.

Homelessness in Huntsville doesn’t always look the way people expect. Sometimes it looks like someone sleeping in a car because it feels safer than a camp. Sometimes it looks like a working adult juggling jobs while trying to avoid eviction. Sometimes it looks like a senior on a fixed income choosing between medication and rent.

Most people don’t arrive here because of one bad decision. They arrive slowly through job loss, illness, divorce, grief, untreated mental health challenges, or a system that doesn’t bend well when life breaks.

By the time someone reaches us, they aren’t asking for a miracle. They’re asking something far more vulnerable:

Will someone take the time to see me?

What First Stop Actually Does

At First Stop, our work begins before the meal line ever starts.

Last year, we served almost 50,000 meals. That’s not just food. That’s consistency. It’s a reason to come back tomorrow.

But for many people, their first interaction with First Stop doesn’t happen inside our building. It happens outside.

Meeting People Where They Are

Our outreach team goes where people already are whether that is under bridges, near camps, along the Parkway, and in places most of us don’t spend time.

They don’t start with paperwork or expectations. They start with conversation.

They learn names. They listen to stories. They build trust over time. Because you can’t help someone you haven’t earned the right to help.

Outreach means meeting people where they are, not where we wish they were and not where it’s convenient for us. Sometimes it takes multiple visits before someone is ready to accept help, and that’s okay. Showing up consistently is part of the work.

Stability Takes Time

In addition to outreach and meals, First Stop provides case management, housing navigation, and connections to local partners.

We currently have nine case managers working intentionally with an average active caseload of about 25 clients. That ratio matters. It allows our team to know people by name, notice changes early, and respond before setbacks become crises.

Last year, we assisted 684 clients with bus tickets so they could reach appointments, interviews, and services. We also provided over $30,000 in assistance for vital records like birth certificates and state IDs, documents many of us take for granted, but without which housing and employment are often impossible.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about homelessness is the belief that solutions should be quick. That if someone is given help, they should immediately be “back on their feet.”

But stability takes time.

Sometimes success looks dramatic, but more often it looks quiet, by showing up week after week, staying housed, and simply holding steady.

Those moments don’t make headlines, but they change lives.

A Community Effort

None of this work happens in isolation.

Each month, we average about 240 volunteer hours from people who show up consistently to serve meals, listen, and care.

What continues to stand out to me about Huntsville is the quiet commitment of this community in the churches, civic groups, volunteers, and neighbors who understand that homelessness is not someone else’s problem.

It’s a community responsibility.

An Invitation

I believe this deeply: the way we treat people at their most vulnerable says everything about who we are. Not how fast we grow. Not how impressive our skyline looks. But whether we stop long enough to help someone who needs us.

At First Stop, we meet people where they are, not because it’s easy, but because it’s honest. And because dignity should never be conditional.

Every journey home really does start with a first step.

Sometimes that step is a meal. Sometimes it’s a conversation on the side of the road. Sometimes it’s a bus ticket or a piece of paper that proves who you are.

And sometimes, it’s simply knowing that someone noticed you and didn’t walk past.

If this work resonates with you, I invite you to consider how you might be part of that first step, by learning more, volunteering your time, supporting organizations that do the slow, relational work, or simply choosing to see the person in front of you.

Because when we stop long enough to truly see someone, we remind them that they still belong. And in doing that, we shape the kind of community Huntsville becomes.

— Chad Rodriguez, Executive Director, First Stop