First Light, Inc.

Overview

Emergency Shelter
The First Light emergency shelter is a dorm-like setting which offers a bed, locker and bathroom and laundry facilities for 36 women and one family on any given night. An overnight volunteer is available to distribute hygiene products, distribute laundry detergent to those who need it, and to simply be present to those in crisis.

Overflow Emergency Shelter
On cold nights, on rainy nights, on weekends, where does one go when all shelters, including First Lights emergency shelter, are full? The overflow emergency shelter was born from necessity. We now provide mats, pillows and clean linens 15-20 guests nightly.

Permanent Housing Programs
HUD 4th Floor Permanent Supportive Housing
First Lights fourth floor is home for nine guests with severe mental illness who are unlikely to successfully live independently.

HUD Permanent Supportive Housing Programs
Approximately fifty program participants who were chronically homeless or have disabling conditions have been housed in apartments in Bessemer, Birmingham, Homewood and other metro areas through three programs. (Bessemer HUD, HUD East and Noah's Ark) The participants are provided intensive support from their Permanent Supportive Housing Social Worker.

Shelter Plus Care Permanent Supportive Housing Program
Shelter Plus Care is a collaboration between First Light and the Jefferson County Housing Authority through which housing and supportive care is provided to women who are homeless due to a disabling condition, such as mental illness, past substance abuse or HIV/AIDS. They are provided with intensive support from our Shelter Plus Care Social Worker and she helps with annual renewals for this voucher based program.

Forever Home
Forever Home is a new program to quickly rehouse First Light emergency shelter guests with children who are likely to achieve independence with limited intervention, thereby freeing up beds and social services for guests at First Lights emergency shelter who have more complex issues. Forever Home families get diminishing financial support and the social services they need to help the adult female head of the family maintain employment and build savings to prevent ordiminish the physical, cognitive, psychological and emotional damage of homelessness to themselves and their children.

Project Healthy Minds
This is a comprehensive program which addresses the overall health and well-being of all of our guests. It includes group and individual counseling sessions, assistance with securing diagnoses and medications, (as well as keeping them organized with weekly med box fills on Friday mornings,) and transportation assistance when necessary.

Day Programs
This category entails the numerous activities offered to First Light guests by outside volunteers. They range from makeovers to Bible Studies to field trips.

If you need emergency shelter, calling 205-323-4277 is the fastest and most effective way to get the information and help you need.

Emergency Shelter

The second floor of First Light houses the emergency shelter. It is a dorm-like environment with 36 beds, a family room and a volunteer room. A metal locker accompanies each bed, which allows our guests to remove all their possessions from the typical carrying case a large plastic garbage bag, to secure them in a neat and clean place.When guests "arrives" in the shelter, they open a locker door to find clean linens, a pillow, blankets and a towel. The first action is usually to make the bed, fluff the pillow and place any special personal items on the bed to make feel like home. This might include a Bible, a photo of a loved one, or stuffed animals. This promotes settling into what may be "home" for several months. Nightly overnight overnight volunteers are present to distribute laundry detergent and whatever hygiene products are needed. All of these items- the linens, the towels, the hygiene products, the toiletries- have been donated by complete strangers. These strangers are the lifeblood of First Light.