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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The death of two children while sheltering in a van with their family last month has prompted the city of Detroit to extend a housing hotline’s hours and work to identify people living in their vehicles, among other changes to how the city responds to homelessness.

The problems in Detroit’s homelessness system that led to tragedy are apparent well beyond the city limits. Homeless response systems across metro Detroit are confronting an ongoing — and long-standing — challenge: There aren’t enough resources to meet the need.

As the number of families and children facing homelessness increases, the services meant to connect people with housing help are stretched thin, overwhelmed and underfunded, area providers say.

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A family came to Lighthouse for emergency shelter after they lost everything in a house fire. We teamed up with Humble Design to help them get a fresh start and a new place to call home. Here’s the story from CBS Detroit.

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A local family has a new place to call home after a devastating fire. Lighthouse and Humble Design teamed up to give them a fresh start after they lost everything. Here’s the story from Fox 2 News.

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Emergency shelter is a growing need in these frigid temperatures. At Lighthouse in Pontiac, people facing homelessness have a place they can call home, and right now, that need is critical.

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On a frigid Monday night, volunteers set out to identify people experiencing homelessness across metro Detroit.

As one group with the nonprofit Lighthouse trekked through a dark, snow-covered nature center, walked along a river’s trail and hit grocery stores and a police station, it was a good thing, they reflected, that they hadn’t found anyone outside. The temperature was, after all, 16 degrees, and expected to drop.

“The hope is if we do run into people that they’re receptive to services, they’re receptive to shelter,” said Brianna Agnello, a housing programs lead with Pontiac-based Lighthouse, whose group was responsible for canvassing North Troy and Rochester. Others were dispatched across other parts of Oakland County.

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Earlier this week, Lighthouse participated in the Annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count with the Alliance for Housing. The PIT Count is an annual sheltered and unsheltered count of people experiencing homelessness that is conducted across the nation in the last week of January each year. The PIT Count is essential to gain a better understanding of the number of people who are experiencing homelessness in Oakland County on any given night. The data gathered helps shape policy and programs designed to assist some of our most vulnerable residents.

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In Oakland County, Pontiac-based nonprofit Lighthouse recently took over leadership of three runaway and homeless youth programs run by another organization. The programs, which include a shelter and transitional housing, are slated to start in February under Lighthouse. The goal: Reunify youth with their families and if that’s not possible, help them get longer term housing.

“Programs like this help ensure that people across the economic spectrum, and — especially in this case children across the economic spectrum — facing all kinds of challenges … are given a fair chance and that we don’t lose sight of their needs, and then, unfortunately, later end up having to address those needs through adult programming,” said Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz.

Hertz anticipates an annual funding gap of about $200,000 that his organization must fill through charitable giving, and the need for additional capacity.

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Beginning in February 2023, three important and lifesaving programs will be added to the broad range of services Lighthouse provides to assist the most vulnerable members of our community. For more than 50 years, Lighthouse has been a beacon of hope for our neighbors in need, operating emergency food and shelter programs, developing affordable housing, and providing housing assistance, supportive services, follow up care, and more. Now, Lighthouse will assume leadership of the following three runaway and homeless youth programs previously operated by Common Ground: • Sanctuary, a three-week overnight residential shelter for youth ages 10-16 with individual, group, and family counseling, art therapy, life skills development and more. • A Step Forward, an 18-month transitional housing program for youth ages 16-18 to foster independence, reunite with family, or locate safe, stable, housing. • Graduated Assistance Program (GAP), a two-year transitional housing program for youth up to 25 years of age.

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Something exciting is cooking – a partnership with Genisys Credit Union to bring an updated kitchen space up to code to serve local families receiving emergency shelter. The project is an extension of the credit union’s ongoing support of Lighthouse.

The kitchen at our headquarters in Pontiac has not been used in more than a decade. It will be brought back to life with a new layout and new appliances to provide meals for emergency shelter residents. Since Lighthouse does not currently have a commercial kitchen, all meals for the shelter are being brought in or cooked off site at other commercial kitchens.

An open house to showcase renovation plans took place October 19.

“With the drive and passion to do so, Lighthouse is making fundamental change possible in our communities through their commitment to partnership and advocacy,” said Jackie Buchanan, President and CEO of Genisys Credit Union. “Standing alongside them, we share in their mission of eliminating homelessness in our communities with projects like the commercial kitchen and we are grateful to offer support to move their mission forward.”
Genisys Credit Union provided an initial $60,000 gift to support the kitchen project. They have since raised additional funds with their employees and are working to raise another $25,000 to purchase appliances, food, and other equipment needed for the kitchen.
This latest project is an extension of Genisys Credit Union’s ongoing support and partnership with Lighthouse. Over the last three years, the credit union has donated $164,000 to Lighthouse including financial support for its Thanksgiving program which distributes turkeys to more than 2,000 households annually, sponsorships, and more.

Genisys employees have also rolled up their sleeves and put in more than 140 hours volunteering to pack and deliver food and renovate a smaller kitchen at Lighthouse’s new Family Emergency Shelter. In addition, Genisys has engaged its partners to give financially, including acting as a catalyst for the Michigan Credit Union League to support Lighthouse through their annual golf outing.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the need for emergency food and shelter in our community has skyrocketed and that need always escalates during the holiday season and the cold winter months,” said Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz. “Having committed partners like Genisys Credit Union is what it will take to alleviate homelessness and tackle this massive problem in our community – we cannot do it alone. Restoring our commercial kitchen so groups and congregation volunteers can prepare meals for our shelter guests, and even teach cooking classes, will enable us to better serve the community. We are truly grateful to the dedicated team at Genisys Credit Union for providing the support needed to make it happen.”

A timeline and other details for the commercial kitchen project are still being finalized. Anyone who would like to contribute to the renovation effort can do so at: https://my.lighthousemi.org/lighthouse-open-house/Donate

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