A THRIVING HOPE
Beneath the roof of the First Light’s emergency shelter in Birmingham, Alabama, women and children in turmoil find hope. What used to be a makeshift lodging in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church grew to become a large-scale 501(c)3 emergency shelter with supportive housing programs for homeless women and children in the downtown area.
Every year, First Light successfully provides refuge to over 900 homeless women and their families with the help of compassionate professionals and volunteers, who altogether give more than 10,000 hours of their time to this cause. At the 2019 Pig Out Picnic, the Crawford Foundation chose to honor this non-profit organization to spread further awareness of the great work they do for the Birmingham metropolitan area.
Imagine being unable to go home. Dangerous people or situations keep you from thriving. Imagine feeling scared for your livelihood and that of your child. These scenarios are unfortunate circumstances for many women throughout the country every day. First Light exists to give the women facing such challenges in Birmingham a fighting chance at moving forward. A chance for safety and a comfortable life.
Beyond the emergency shelter, First Light began a program called Forever Home. Through this project, women and children receive financial assistance that is tapered over the course of one year to encourage a sustainable living situation. Their transition is bolstered by what First Light refers to as "wraparound social services," meaning that all angles are covered by professionals: counseling, financial advisory, daily living assistance, etc. This project is the focus of the Crawford Foundation's fundraising efforts to support this system of empowerment. First Light Shelter and the Forever Home program aim to ameliorate the damage caused by homelessness and unsafe domestic settings, from the physical to emotional and developmental wounds. The Crawford Foundation believes in their cause to serve this population and are happy to garner support for First Light's imperative work in the community.
