Spring is a time of growth and renewal. At Lighthouse, it’s also time for building and construction. This season, we will break ground on several critical projects to address the affordable housing crisis in our region for low-income families and children, and expand supportive services to lift future generations out of poverty.

Read more in our Spring Newsletter:

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What began as a simple post on a neighborhood “Nextdoor” app quickly grew into an outpouring of kindness and generosity, all in support of Lighthouse. Patrice McDonald Rowbal and her husband, Alan, pulled up to Lighthouse headquarters in Pontiac with two trunks full of donations February 5th — the result of an overwhelming response to a coat drive Patrice launched on the Nextdoor. 

Patrice, a Troy resident and dedicated Lighthouse volunteer, never expected the coat drive to grow so quickly. Inspired by the need she witnessed while volunteering, she turned to Nextdoor, a neighborhood-based social media platform, to ask for donations.

“I challenged my neighbors to a coat drive for Lighthouse,” Patrice said. “Through the app, I was able to harness all the positive energy and generosity that’s out there waiting to be unleashed.”

Her neighbors responded in a big way. When Patrice and Alan arrived at Lighthouse, their vehicles were packed with 50+ winter coats, bags of hats, mittens, and scarves, boxes of boots, women’s sweaters and pajamas, personal hygiene products and handmade teddy bears.

It was more than just clothing — it was a powerful act of kindness that brought a neighborhood together.

“Sometimes people want to help but don’t know where to begin; the need seems overwhelming,” Patrice explained. “I figured if I could focus on one thing — warm winter outerwear — it would make it easier for people to get involved.”

The story even made the news. Click the video player below to watch a report from WXYZ-TV.

One neighbor summed up the spirit of the movement perfectly:

“I am thankful for the clothes on my back, food, and a warm house. Not everyone is so lucky. Thanks for doing what you are doing !”

Here at Lighthouse, we’re building equitable communities that alleviate poverty by helping individuals and families in a variety of ways. Our programs provide food, shelter, financial assistance, and long-term support to help people become self-sufficient.

The coats will help many families as they face Michigan’s harsh winter weather. And while Patrice’s Nextdoor post was the spark, it was the collective generosity of the community that made this effort such a success.

“Nextdoor was the vehicle. The people were the power,” Patrice said. “It shows what a community can do when folks focus and come together to help others.”

On behalf of all of us Lighthouse, we are truly grateful. If you’d like to help out, visit lighthousemi.org.

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A 9-year-old Detroit Lions fans won tickets to this weekend’s big game, all because of his hard work (and his entire school’s hard work) to collect food for those in need. Pine Knob Elementary donated nearly 6,500 pounds of food to Lighthouse.

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One of metro Detroit’s youngest Lions fans will be having a ball this weekend and it is all thanks to his big heart.

Pine Knob Elementary School third grader Mason Bonds donated more than 400 items to a food drive part of Calvary Lutheran Church in Clarkston.

“It felt like I did something very good,” Mason said.

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The Lions take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but the star at Ford Field won’t be on the gridiron. He’ll be in the stands, and he’s just 9 years old.

His name is Mason Bonds. He’s 9 years old, a student at Pine Knob Elementary, and he won a school-wide food drive competition: collecting 411 cans of non-perishables to help families in need. The most of any student.

“The teacher said ‘Ms. Majestic’ and everybody was screaming so we couldn’t hear my name,” said Bonds. “I couldn’t hear my name but I already knew cause she, someone walked in and gave me the ticket to the Lions game,” said Bonds.

In fact, he won 3 tickets to this Sunday’s Bills-Lions game. His first game ever. He says it feels good to go, but feels even better to help the less fortunate.

“I hope the people that don’t need anything could give the people in need stuff,” he said.

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A 9-year-old boy’s good deed of giving back has scored him Detroit Lions tickets to this weekend’s game. This Sunday at Ford Field, third grader Mason Bonds is gearing up for his first Lions game ever.

“So, I’m going to get signatures from players, and I’m going to go out to the field,” said Mason. Mason’s school, Pine Knob Elementary in Clarkston, recently hosted a food drive. The winner would take home three tickets to see the Lions this weekend, including three field passes.

“We brought in over 9,000 items in total which equaled over 6,000 pounds of food items,” said Pine Knob Elementary board member Katrina Rivenburgh.

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A Michigan woman has spent days preparing Thanksgiving meals for kids in need. She said it’s not the food, but the sense of family that they need most.

“We just want to embrace the youth here and make them part of a larger family,” said Barbara Carter, a residential specialist at Lighthouse Youth Sanctuary, a program for runaway and homeless youth.

Lighthouse offers shelter, essential services and meals. And on Thanksgiving, the meal is special, of course, created by Carter for the program’s young people.

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Genisys Credit Union has a long history of supporting Lighthouse’s ongoing efforts to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty. In recent years, the Genisys team has raised funds, made generous donations, volunteered, and donated thousands of turkeys to local families in need.

This year, the credit union did something different. Genisys reimagined how to maximize volunteer impact and build stronger community connections by transforming its home office in Auburn Hills into a mini warehouse for the day. 

“Every year, our team volunteers at the Lighthouse warehouse assisting where needed and packing boxes for Thanksgiving,” explains Theresa Doan, Director of Social Responsibility. “This year, packing the boxes at our office allowed us to provide 100 Thanksgiving boxes ready to go. We created awareness about the need in our community and enabled more team members to get involved right in our building.”

By bringing the operation in-house, the credit union created a convenient space for team members to donate and pack boxes. Collaborating closely with Lighthouse, which supplied boxes and itemized lists of necessary items, Genisys purchased the food, opened its lunchroom, and established a system that allowed employees to participate throughout the day – whether they had just a few minutes or several hours to offer.

“This approach helped save space during a busy time at our warehouse and engaged many more volunteers than it would have otherwise,” said Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz. “We are incredibly grateful to the Genisys team for always thinking outside the box about the best ways to help, and for their continued support.”

Throughout the day, more than 200 Genisys team members participated. The mood was upbeat as colleagues worked side by side, each playing a role in supporting families across the community. The initiative showcased the collective power of small acts of kindness and highlighted how working together can achieve remarkable results. In all, the Genisys team provided more than 1,200 pounds of food for local families in need.

“Our hope is that this approach can serve as a model for other organizations, regardless of their size,” Doan added. “Lighthouse simplifies the process by providing a list of necessary items and boxes, making it easy for any group to turn their workspace into a mini distribution center. Together, groups can make a meaningful impact by supporting those in need during the holiday season.”

Genisys Credit Union’s partnership with Lighthouse extends far beyond the Thanksgiving food drive. The organization is dedicated to year-round support, including various volunteer efforts and renovations of critical spaces such as the Family Emergency Housing building in Pontiac, the art therapy room and media room at Lighthouse’s Sanctuary program for runaway and homeless youth in Royal Oak, and kitchen spaces at Lighthouse’s headquarters in Pontiac. By providing both time and resources, Genisys demonstrates its commitment to making a lasting impact.

“The team at Genisys supports Lighthouse because we believe in being a ‘beacon of light’ for the communities we serve,” Doan said. “Helping neighbors and working together to make neighborhoods a better place to raise families, enjoy senior years, work, and play is central to our mission.”

This Thanksgiving and beyond, Lighthouse is grateful to Genisys Credit Union and all who work so hard to make a meaningful difference in the lives of community members. Thank you from all of us at Lighthouse.

If you’d like to help, donate to our holiday campaign here.

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Formed in 2019 from the merger of South Oakland Shelter and Lighthouse of Oakland County, Lighthouse endeavors to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty, in partnership with—and in service to—individuals, families and organizations.

Lighthouse’s strategy includes addressing the immediate needs of people in crisis, providing long-term housing and economic solutions, and creating systems of change largely by addressing affordable housing gaps throughout Oakland County.

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