Reviewed by: Elizabeth Hobbs
How this remarkable Huntsville barber overcame a troubled past to help others
Reading time: 5 minutes
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If you stopped by Leo Robinson’s barbershop, you’d never know he was once addicted to drugs for 14 years, homeless for several years and spent a year in jail.
Read on to learn how this Huntsville barber got a second chance in life, is helping others turn their lives around, and how he recently won Redstone’s Community Champion award.
Watch Leo’s story, featured by Redstone Federal Credit Union
Meet Leo + his wife Donna
Leo was born in Greenbrier—just 35 minutes outside of Huntsville—and was one of eight children. His father was a sharecropper and barber and always taught his children that the most important thing in life was to tell the truth.
Leo also is married to his beautiful wife named Donna, whom he met in 2000. Donna loves telling the story of how he caught her interest:
“I was at the barber shop going through some things with my hair. My mom had recently passed from cancer, so I had cut my hair and wasn’t happy with it. Leo wasn’t my barber at the time, but he ended up being my barber.
Later on, he passed me a note one day that said, ‘When you’re ready to call me, call me.’ And the rest is history.”
Donna Robinson
Together, Leo and Donna make a great pair. At Second Chance Deliverance + Restoration Ministries, they know how to divide and conquer. Donna heads up the administrative work—putting together the letters, flyers, social media posts and more—and Leo is the visionary, sharing his testimony and leading the non-profit.
From drug addiction to hope
However, Leo’s road to Second Chance Deliverance + Restoration Ministries wasn’t easy.
Even though he was raised in a good home, Leo fell into using drugs and was addicted for 14 years. He also spent several years homeless, going from place to place. Eventually, he was arrested and spent a year in jail.
After getting out of jail, he was on the job hunt, looking for a career where he could get a fresh start. That’s when he decided to use a trade he had learned earlier in life—barbering—and began working at Ivey’s barbershop. There he felt the call to start a non-profit.
“I had a revelation from the Holy Spirit to start the non-profit, but I didn’t want to do it. For 30 days, I tried getting people to talk me out of it. But, I knew it was His calling for me.
It was hard getting Second Chance started. We had issues with finances in the beginning, but I knew I had to listen because it was the right thing.”
Leo Robinson
Because of Leo’s faith, he and Donna have been changing the lives of Huntsvillians for 20 years.
Redstone Federal Credit Union loves to share the good happening in Huntsville—check out their Community Champion series.
How he’s giving back through Second Chance
You may be wondering what Leo and Donna do at their non-profit, but a better question would be: ‘what do they not do?’
Check out some of the initiatives of Second Chance Deliverance + Restoration Ministries:
- Annual coat drives
- Donate to the coat drive happening NOW by dropping off jackets at Ivey’s Barber Shop (3700 Blue Spring Road) Tuesday-Friday, 9:30AM-4:30PM.
- Hosting meals for the homeless (not just box lunches—full-on meals) at First Stop
- Partnering with Martin Luther King + McDonnell Elementary to provide coats, pantry items, after-school care + more
- Raising funds for college scholarships
“We’ve been in Huntsville for 20 years. We’re not just a fly-by-night ministry. We’ve done some big things and have been very impactful in the city.”
Donna Robinson
Check out Redstone’s other Community Champions
Thanks to Redstone Federal Credit Union, Leo and Donna’s story and non-profit are reaching more people in the Huntsville area. They recently felt so honored when Leo received the Community Champion Award:
“We were so excited when we found out Leo had been selected out of 200 nominations. The hardest part was keeping quiet because we wanted to tell everyone!”
Donna Robinson
“Receiving Redstone’s Community Champion award was a prestigious moment for me. To go from where I was to where I am now—only a supreme God can do that.”
Leo Robinson
Want to learn about the other Community Champions making a difference in Huntsville? Check out Redstone Federal Credit Union’s full series.
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