Singer Ashley Forrest, Speaker Mike Busch, and Alderwoman Classy Hoyle served soup and chili at the seventh annual Heritage Baptist Church SOUPer Bowl lunch for The Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center. (Photo by Joshua McKerrow, The Capital Gazette)

The Light House mourns the loss of Speaker Mike Busch, who was a tireless advocate for our neighbors struggling with homelessness. We are profoundly saddened by his passing and deeply grateful for his decades of support and commitment to serving all of his constituents—including those who are too often overlooked. Speaker Busch’s lasting impact on our organization runs deep. We are humbled by the countless times he provided guidance and support for our programs, whether small or large. He was instrumental in helping us expand our services throughout the years, including the construction of our new facility at 10 Hudson Street in 2010 and the development of our Light House Bistro social enterprise in 2017.

We are honored and grateful for all he has given in service to our community, our state, and our most vulnerable neighbors. He will be greatly missed. Our entire Light House community holds the friends, family, and loved ones of Speaker Busch in our hearts.

With deepest gratitude,

Jo Ann Mattson,
Executive Director, The Light House

My Girlfriend’s House, a local nonprofit organization that provides aid and basic needs to those in various states of sheltered living, chose The Light House as their next Shelter Room Makeover Party recipient. The Shelter Room Makeover Party is a design competition that empowers women in the community with a flair for design, while also providing much needed support for local homeless shelters. On April 6th, after months of planning, My Girlfriend’s House will visit The Light House with over 100 volunteers that have been divided into 16 groups. Each group will have 5 hours to makeover their designated spaces with new paint, furniture, decor, and minor building repairs. Spaces being renovated include the entire third floor which has apartments for families and a common space/play area for children, the entire second-floor which has a men’s wing and a women’s wing for individual residents, the first-floor lobby waiting room area, cafeteria, and library. The makeover will begin at 10:00am and will be followed by the big reveal at 3:30pm. During the big reveal, residents are invited back into their spaces to see the results of this daylong renovation, and judges will vote to see who has the best design!

“Our residents, staff, and volunteers are all incredibly excited about this new partnership with My Girlfriend’s House,” says Light House Executive Director, Jo Ann Mattson. “2019 marks our 30th year serving our community, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by sprucing up these spaces that mean the world to our residents and community clients. The Light House is a place of belonging and hope for over 2,000 community members in need each year, and we’re grateful to have My Girlfriend’s House and their generous volunteers as partners in our mission!”

Last year alone, The Light House provided emergency and transitional housing for 150 individuals and 18 families, including 24 children. The organization also served over 38,000 hot meals, distributed over 99,000 pounds of food, and provided homelessness prevention and support services to hundreds of community clients. The Light House’s 10 Hudson Street location is a 24,400 square foot facility serving as a central location for their housing, employment, and support programs and services. The second and third floor shelters 45 individuals and 5 families with up to 20 children. The main floor includes a cafeteria, kitchen, pantry, and fresh market area for their food programs. The main floor also includes their employment resource center for employment training programs and career development services, and their Safe Harbour Resource Center which is a dedicated space that acts as a day center for community clients in need of case management services, free laundry, showers, clothing, and other basic needs.

About My Girlfriend’s House Shelter Room Makeover: My Girlfriend’s House is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower under-served teen girls to develop a positive understanding of self-worth while enhancing their leadership, academic and career skills. As part of their leadership program, they designed the Shelter Room Makeover Party to show the girls what “reality tv” looks like when a community of women come together to empower others in need. The Shelter Room Makeover Party is an outreach effort designed to uplift women and men living in homeless shelters by renovating their spaces and creating an oasis for residents. Every year through student and volunteer efforts, My Girlfriend’s House selects two area shelters to completely renovate and design including purchasing new home décor, painting, buying new furniture, and more. For more information, please visit their website at https://www.shelter-room.mygirlfriendshouse.org/about-us/ or on Facebook at @MyGirlfriendsHouseInc.

Dear Light House Community,

Just last week a young couple came through our doors having walked two and a half miles in the cold carrying their five-month-old child and everything they own. They had recently given up their apartment because it was infested with mold and was making their child seriously ill. Unable to find an affordable option and both working full time, they found themselves living out of a motel with money quickly running out. Finally, they reached a point where they couldn’t afford another night.

As you can imagine, they were exhausted and frightened when they came into The Light House. After enjoying a hot meal, they sat down with our Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Specialist. Because the need is so great, all of our shelter spaces were full, and there were no affordable apartments immediately available. Fortunately, our caring staff was able to find a safe solution; they negotiated with a local hotel to give a discounted rate for a few weeks and reached out to our local benevolence groups and church groups who quickly stepped up to cover the remaining costs. This family is now out of danger, they aren’t at risk of losing their jobs, and will continue to have help in their search for affordable and sustainable housing.

This was just one example of the countless times I have seen compassion turn into action here at The Light House. This holiday season please consider the many individuals, families, and children who still need our help. Donate today to ensure that food, shelter, and life-changing programs are available to our most vulnerable neighbors.

With a heart filled with gratitude,

Jo Ann Mattson,
Executive Director, The Light House
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