Kelly Battles
Police Officer, City of Homewood
Over her 20 years as a police officer, Kelly Battles has worked on plenty of major holidays. “It doesn’t really bother me that I’m not with family on holidays, because that’s part of the job,” she says. Her family makes time to celebrate when she’s off duty.
The police department gets calls on holidays, just like any other day. “People don't call us to say, ‘hey.’ They call us when something's going on, and that's just the job,” she explains.
One Christmas morning, while responding to a call in Homewood, Kelly had a heartwarming experience she will never forget. “The neighbors' kids were so excited to see the police, you’d have thought it was Christmas morning all over again. They were amazed!” she remembers. “The kids ran over and hugged us and tried to give us the new toy tractors they had just gotten. It was so sweet!”
Kelly admits that her job isn’t always easy and requires facing danger, but serving her community is her calling. “I know this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Dr. Rebecca Moul
Orthopedic Surgeon, Summit Orthopedics Sports & Spine Medicine
Dr. Rebecca Moul, a sports-medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon, says her specialty was an easy choice as an avid sports fan. Her two favorite holidays are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her family loves to spend Thanksgiving at the beach whenever they can. For Christmas, Dr. Moul enjoys being at home, where the sights and sounds remind her of the magical Christmases she experienced at her childhood home.
Sometimes, however, her work requires her to be on call on holidays, even operating when necessary. “When I have to work on major holidays, I remind myself of how blessed I am to be able to help those in need,” she says. “No one wants to be a patient on a holiday, as they are missing time with their loved ones. I am thankful that at the end of the day, I am healthy and get to go home to my family.”
Dr. Moul finds her work rewarding year-round. She says the most meaningful part is the connections she makes with patients from all walks of life. “I love the interactions I get to have with people,” she says. Many patients send her positive updates years after receiving care. “It feels good to give a person the gift of improved health.”
James Poe
Director of Shepura Men’s Center, Jimmie Hale Mission
There’s nowhere James Poe would rather be on Thanksgiving Day than The Jimmie Hale Mission, the place he received hope and began his own recovery 13 years ago. His path to leading others toward addiction recovery—now as Director of the Shepura Men’s Center—has been profoundly rewarding. Since 2012, James’ entire family has joined him at the mission on Thanksgiving Day, volunteering to prepare, serve, and deliver hundreds of meals. “Every year, I see the wonder in our guys' eyes that so many people would give up part of their Thanksgiving holiday to come and volunteer at The Jimmie Hale Mission,” Poe says. “I can’t tell you how many faces and entire families I continue to see year after year.”
Perryn Carroll
Executive Director of Jimmie Hale Mission
After 32 years of practicing law, Perryn Carroll felt called to leave her career and begin a new role at Jimmie Hale Mission. “It’s been one of the best decisions of my life,” she says. The mission is staffed and functioning 365 days a year, and holidays are the busiest of all. In addition to serving around 175 homeless men and women, they deliver to over 300 Meal on Wheels participants on Thanksgiving Day. When their four boys were young, the Carrolls began volunteering to deliver meals on holidays. “It is as much a part of our holiday tradition as our family meal,” Perryn explains. When her oldest son came home for Thanksgiving break during his first year at college, the first thing he said was, “We are going to deliver meals this year, aren’t we?”
Condoleezza Bell
Retention Coordinator and Trainer, Home Instead
Those who provide non-medical in-home care like Condoleezza Bell play an invaluable role during the holidays, sacrificing time with their own families to make sure others receive heartfelt support and companionship. “What’s most rewarding to me about my job is seeing someone’s face light up when I walk in the door," Condoleezza shares, reflecting on the special bond she forms with her clients.
One Christmas, Condoleezza made it her mission to cheer up a client who had no family at all nearby. So, she cooked him a delicious meal, brought him candy and gifts, and spent the day watching Christmas movies with him. "We laughed, we ate, we sang, we prayed together—and he had a wonderful day," Condoleezza recalls. "It was the best Christmas I’d had in a long time."
Condoleezza wishes one thing people understood is that caregivers are not simply sitters. “In-home care is more than a job. It’s a ministry,” she explains. “When we go into someone’s home, we put our heart and soul into it. We’re on a mission to make people happy.” She adds that one of the most important ways to care for someone is simply to be a good listener.
This season, Condoleezza hopes that more people will go out of their way to serve others—especially senior citizens. She encourages people to think of someone they can reach out to, perhaps an elderly neighbor, to make an effort to make sure that no one spends the holidays alone. “Let’s make the holidays about other people, not just ourselves.”
Nick Stallings
Lieutenant, Homewood Fire Department
“Public safety never sleeps,” says Lieutenant Nick Stallings of the Homewood Fire Department, explaining why he and his team work willingly at all times. “People need help when they need help, whether it’s a holiday or night or weekend, and it’s our job to be available.”
The crew has each other's backs at all times, including when it comes to holiday shifts. "We do a good job of looking out for each other,” he says. “Sometimes guys will swap shifts and work for people who have young kids, so they can go home with their family during Santa Claus time and that sort of thing.”
Despite the demands of the job, Nick and his fellow firefighters maintain their strong sense of camaraderie on holidays, cooking and enjoying meals at the station. "We extend that family atmosphere," Nick says, reflecting on countless times off-duty colleagues and family members have come by to join them for a meal on holidays.
The most rewarding part of Nick’s job is being there for people on what might be the worst day of their lives. Whether it's a medical emergency, a house fire, or a cat stuck behind a wall, Nick and his team approach each situation with the same level of care and dedication. "We take calls very seriously. We give every call we run the utmost respect and attention," he says.
For Nick and his crew, being a first responder is more than a job. It’s a calling. And they are honored to serve the people in their community—on holidays and throughout the year.
Sam Irvin
Second Lieutenant, Army National Guard;
Officer, Mountain Brook Police Department
Sam Irvin serves in the Army National Guard and works in the police department, neither of which lend themselves to being home for the holidays. Sam has only been home for Christmas once since 2020, and he hasn’t been home on Thanksgiving in four years.
“I feel a duty to do it,” he says, explaining that he understood the sacrifices when he voluntarily joined the National Guard and the police department.
Now that he has kids, it is harder to miss holidays, but he is committed to his roles. “Yes, I will miss a lot of stuff, but it’s good for my family in the long run,” he explains. “Things happen on Christmas. Things happen on Thanksgiving. Someone has to do it, and I don’t mind serving in some capacity. My family understands. My boys will understand. I think it’s a good thing to do.”
A memorable Thanksgiving for Sam was the one he was away at basic training. “We’d gotten into some sort of trouble—I can’t remember what it was for,” he admits. But he does vividly remember being “smoked,” which involved a lot of push-ups and running, then returning to the dining facility for a mediocre meal. “It was a very difficult—very, very sweaty–Thanksgiving.”
This holiday season, Sam (half-jokingly) says he hopes people will bring plenty of treats by the police station because they all love to eat good food. “But to be serious,” he also adds, “If you have a family member in the military who is away from home, know that they are missing their family just as much as you’re missing them.”
Kevin Underwood
Battalion Chief, Vestavia Hills Fire Department
Parker Underwood
Firefighter, Hoover Fire Department
Battalion Chief Kevin Underwood has proudly been serving the Vestavia Hills Fire Department since 1998 and says he has the best job ever. “What boy doesn't want to grow up and get to play with big trucks and do what we do for a living?” he says with a laugh. “On the flip side, our job is very serious. When somebody's in need, they're expecting us to step in and make their situation better. Being able to do that gives gratification unlike anything else you could do.”
On holidays, the Vestavia Hills community goes out of their way to show gratitude. “Our doorbell is constantly ringing, and it's somebody bringing us a pie or candies,” Kevin says. “It makes it easier every time we roll out that door, knowing they appreciate us and that we are missing our families to take care of theirs.”
Firefighting has become a family affair for the Underwoods. Kevin’s oldest son, Parker, soon to be 21, serves at the Hoover Fire Department. Growing up, Parker loved spending time at the station with his dad and even got to work a shift with him at age 16. Parker has always admired his dad’s strong work ethic, noting times he worked back-to-back firefighting and paramedic shifts then came home and took care of their family. “I strive to have that same work ethic,” Parker says.
Parker brings an outgoing personality to the job, seeking to brighten peoples’ days as he provides help when they need it most. “Whether it's seven-thirty in the morning or four in the morning, being able to make people smile is the most rewarding thing—and seeing people get better,” he says. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Valerie George
Firefighter, Vestavia Hills Fire Department
During the upheaval of COVID-19, Valerie George found her true calling in an unexpected place: becoming a firefighter. Her detailed nature and passion for serving the community made the new path a natural fit. After volunteering at Rocky Ridge Fire Department while she went through EMT training, she started at Vestavia Hills in May of 2021.
One of three women in the department, Valerie found the idea of entering a male-dominated field intimidating at first. She soon found support and camaraderie. “They honestly welcomed me like I was a sister, and now I have a bunch of brothers who will look out for me,” she says.
Valerie enjoys getting to meet kids in the community when they come by the station. Girls who aspire to the field are especially happy to meet a female firefighter. Her advice to kids who want to grow up to be firefighters is, “Go after your dreams, and don’t let anything get in the way of them.”
The atmosphere at the fire station on holidays is upbeat, and Valerie is happy to serve on those days. “You really do feel like you’re with family,” she says. They cook and eat meals together, aware of the reality that they may need to spring into action at any moment. “You’ll be getting ready to put your fork into your mouth and take a bite, and next thing you know, it's time to go on a call,” she explains.
Valerie says those in her work family are some of the kindest, most caring people she has ever known. “Anytime you need anything, you can call somebody you work with, and they'll be right there for you.”