The Lighthouse team, its supporters, partners and volunteers work tirelessly to help alleviate poverty in our community. On Sept. 24, we held our 2024 Annual Meeting at Kirk in the Hills in Bloomfield Township to roll out major expansion plans and celebrate those who are making a profound impact for the children, families, and individuals we serve.

“Lighthouse is setting bold goals to continue to lift up families and set them up for success with respect and dignity,” said CEO Ryan Hertz. “We ask ourselves ‘what more can we do,’ and there is so much more to be done.”

In 2023, Lighthouse distributed 154,357 boxes of emergency food to local households and helped more than 330 people with emergency housing. While Oakland County is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, every year thousands of residents experience homeless and are faced with hunger. 24% are children.

That’s why Lighthouse is launching the Lighting the Way Campaign and raising $40M to expand our Pontiac campus and implement lasting solutions to build a brighter future for everyone.

Plans include a Housing Opportunity Center, Social Supermarket, Economic Opportunity Center, community event spaces, cafe, Community Development Capital Fund, Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs, and more.

At the annual meeting, MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation, the philanthropic arm of MSU Federal Credit Unit, announced it is the latest major donor to make a significant investment in the campus expansion project. The foundation will grant $500,000 over the next four years.

“With this transformational grant, the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation has stood strongly behind the Lighthouse mission to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty and has moved us a big step closer toward realizing our vision of a redeveloped main campus to better serve the evolving needs of our constituents,” Hertz said. “Thank you for believing in our work and for your wonderful partnership.”

The foundation presented Lighthouse with a check during the annual meeting, saying the gift will not only help break ground on the new development, but break the cycle of poverty. To learn more about “Lighting the Way” and how you can help, visit https://lighthousemi.org/lightingtheway/.

Lighthouse also honored a number of people and partners for their extraordinary service this year, including:

• Volunteer of the Year: Mark Goldman
• Outstanding Service Award: Richard Lewnau
• Mission Possible Award: Colleen Ochoa Peters
• Community Partner Award: Alliance for Housing
• Congregation Partner Award: Congregational Church of Birmingham
• Corporate Partner of the Year: Flagstar Bank
• Governmental Partner Award: MDHHS – Housing & Homeless Services Division
• Foundation Partner Award: MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation

Past board members Jim Lambrecht, Sonja Lengnick, and Paul Plante, were also recognized.

Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!

Check out photos on Facebook here.