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SOS – Emergency Shelter
Our SOS program maintains 30-35 unrestricted shelter beds. SOS accepts men, women, and children. Clients receive access on a first call, first serve basis. SOS partners with over 60 congregations and operates year-round. Each week, a congregation takes on the responsibility of hosting SOS’s shelter guests and provides them with overnight accommodations, three daily meals, transportation, and meaningful interactions with caring volunteers. In addition to shelter, SOS has an on-site clothing closet, showers, and washers and dryers all allowing clients to look and feel their best as they seek employment and housing. Over 80% of our shelter guests successfully enter into housing.
Food Pantries
Lighthouse has three operating food pantries across southeastern Michigan. Our largest food pantry is located in Pontiac. In all three locations, clients receive a 3-day supply of food every 30 days. Our pantries run on donations from the public and they are stocked with non-perishable foods in addition to fresh produce, meats, and dairy products. When available, we also provide personal hygiene and household items.
Direct Services
Our Direct Services program helps people with basic needs. We provide a continuum of services that begins with short-term emergency food, utility and rental assistance. We also provide referrals to outside agencies for additional help and assist families with long-term planning and budgeting to achieve family stabilization. Lighthouse also offers case management for long term support to stabilize families.
Housing Assistance Programs
Lighthouse works diligently to move individuals and families from homelessness to housing as quickly as possible. We do this through a variety of programs including transitional housing, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. Families are assisted with locating safe, affordable housing in the community. PATH, our 2-year transitional housing program for domestic violence victims and formerly homeless women with children provides intensive case management and wrap-around services. The PATH program serves more than 50 women and 100 children annually, with 88% entering successfully into stable housing. Lighthouse also develops and provides wrap-around services for single and multi-family homes and duplexes. We provide assistance and supportive services to tenants of public housing commissions and private landlords. In addition, we are particularly excited that we just broke ground on our 64-unit Coolidge Place affordable residential development in Oak Park.
HandUp
Crowdfunding HandUp.org is a web-based social enterprise serving more than 100 homeless service agencies and their clients. HandUp Detroit’s organizations are working together to raise awareness and lifesaving support for clients, and have collectively raised more than $3.1 million in direct financial assistance. Connect directly with our clients through HandUp and make an impact in their life. Learn how you can contribute to specific client goals and help a neighbor in need.
Follow-Up Care
After people have exited our programs and moved into housing, follow-up care case managers meet with them in their new homes for a full year. This allows people to continue to receive case management and resources needed to maintain their housing and independence. Additionally, any person re-housed outside of our programs is offered the opportunity to enter into our follow-up care program. This program is reflective of Lighthouse’s commitment to offering long term solutions to those who need our help.
In addition to these important services, Lighthouse also understands that there are certain times of the year that are more difficult for our clients in need.
We take pride in providing the following services:
Back to School – providing 1,000+ students with backpacks and school supplies
Thanksgiving – providing 1500+ families with a full Thanksgiving Dinner box
Adopt-a-Family – helping get 500+ families adopted for the holidays