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Pontiac
Hero Story
South Oakland Shelter (doing business as Lighthouse MI) endeavors to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty in partnership with and in service to individuals, families, and organizations.
Lighthouse was established in 2019 when Lighthouse of Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter combined forces and merged agencies. The new Lighthouse leverages the best of both agencies, providing direct services (food, shelter, rental/utility and other financial assistance, crisis referrals) and stability and housing programs that develop and support self-sufficiency. They value building long-term, meaningful relationships by listening to clients, partners, funders, and other stakeholders. They continuously engage in dialogue and then adapt to fill identified gaps and offer services that meet the unique and changing needs of our clients and the local community.
Oakland County is one of the highest income counties in Michigan and has ranked among the wealthiest counties in the nation. Yet that prosperity is not shared by all in Oakland County– far from it. More than 150,000 residents of Oakland County are unable to afford adequate housing, food, or transportation. (United for ALICE, 2021) At least 3,000 people experience homelessness each year. (Alliance for Housing, 2019) Of those, 24% are children and young people, and more than 1 in 11 kids in Oakland County are food insecure, meaning they don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. (Feeding America, 2020)
Lighthouse creates a pathway out of poverty for people in our community. There are countless impact stories – thousands of families who have food on their tables due to Lighthouse’s emergency food program, families who have a safe place to sleep, who’ve received help to avoid eviction, who are living in hard-to-secure affordable housing, receiving job training to pursue new opportunities and the list goes on.
In 2022, Lighthouse provided emergency food to over 21,000 households, provided emergency shelter to 434 individuals (including 244 children), and helped prevent 1,856 evictions. We were able to help hundreds more through our many housing assistance programs and supportive services and are proud to say that 93% of the households that exited from our stability services programs retained their housing and increased their self sufficiency in 2022.
Here’s one client’s story: Shakira grew up in Pontiac. From the time she was a teenager, she loved to work, starting at the Guess store at Great Lakes Crossing. By the time she was 19, she had two jobs, was able to buy a car and move into her own apartment.
But Shakira was young and didn’t know anything about managing money. When she broke the lease on her apartment, she didn’t realize the financial penalties or the damage it would do to her credit. Unable to get another apartment, she bounced around, staying with friends and family, paying rent wherever she lived. She always worked, but continued to struggle:
“I never had anyone teach me how to pay bills and save money, and I made a lot of mistakes.”
When Shakira’s twins were born, things became much harder. She couldn’t afford childcare and a place to live, so had to rely on family. After a tragic fire at her grandma’s house, Shakira lost almost everything in storage there, and went on to stay with her other grandma, where she and the young kids slept on the floor.
After six months, Shakira and her children entered our newly renovated family shelter where they have their own space within a safe and secure environment. She’s working to get back on her feet and find a permanent place to live. She still loves to work and needs to work, and with the support and resources she’s receiving at Lighthouse, she’s determined to make it happen.
Pontiac
Hero Story
South Oakland Shelter (doing business as Lighthouse MI) endeavors to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty in partnership with and in service to individuals, families, and organizations.
Lighthouse was established in 2019 when Lighthouse of Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter combined forces and merged agencies. The new Lighthouse leverages the best of both agencies, providing direct services (food, shelter, rental/utility and other financial assistance, crisis referrals) and stability and housing programs that develop and support self-sufficiency. They value building long-term, meaningful relationships by listening to clients, partners, funders, and other stakeholders. They continuously engage in dialogue and then adapt to fill identified gaps and offer services that meet the unique and changing needs of our clients and the local community.
Oakland County is one of the highest income counties in Michigan and has ranked among the wealthiest counties in the nation. Yet that prosperity is not shared by all in Oakland County– far from it. More than 150,000 residents of Oakland County are unable to afford adequate housing, food, or transportation. (United for ALICE, 2021) At least 3,000 people experience homelessness each year. (Alliance for Housing, 2019) Of those, 24% are children and young people, and more than 1 in 11 kids in Oakland County are food insecure, meaning they don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. (Feeding America, 2020)
Lighthouse creates a pathway out of poverty for people in our community. There are countless impact stories – thousands of families who have food on their tables due to Lighthouse’s emergency food program, families who have a safe place to sleep, who’ve received help to avoid eviction, who are living in hard-to-secure affordable housing, receiving job training to pursue new opportunities and the list goes on.
In 2022, Lighthouse provided emergency food to over 21,000 households, provided emergency shelter to 434 individuals (including 244 children), and helped prevent 1,856 evictions. We were able to help hundreds more through our many housing assistance programs and supportive services and are proud to say that 93% of the households that exited from our stability services programs retained their housing and increased their self sufficiency in 2022.
Here’s one client’s story: Shakira grew up in Pontiac. From the time she was a teenager, she loved to work, starting at the Guess store at Great Lakes Crossing. By the time she was 19, she had two jobs, was able to buy a car and move into her own apartment.
But Shakira was young and didn’t know anything about managing money. When she broke the lease on her apartment, she didn’t realize the financial penalties or the damage it would do to her credit. Unable to get another apartment, she bounced around, staying with friends and family, paying rent wherever she lived. She always worked, but continued to struggle:
“I never had anyone teach me how to pay bills and save money, and I made a lot of mistakes.”
When Shakira’s twins were born, things became much harder. She couldn’t afford childcare and a place to live, so had to rely on family. After a tragic fire at her grandma’s house, Shakira lost almost everything in storage there, and went on to stay with her other grandma, where she and the young kids slept on the floor.
After six months, Shakira and her children entered our newly renovated family shelter where they have their own space within a safe and secure environment. She’s working to get back on her feet and find a permanent place to live. She still loves to work and needs to work, and with the support and resources she’s receiving at Lighthouse, she’s determined to make it happen.