Then

In the past, Lighthouse of Oakland County, Inc. had three distinct and separate subsidiaries that provided services to low-income families in Oakland County since 1972. What began as an effort to provide food and clothing from the back door of a local church has grown into a family of agencies providing a continuum of services designed to move people from crisis and instability to self-sufficiency and independence. Included within this family of agencies were Lighthouse of Oakland County, Inc. (the parent corporation providing administrative and fund raising services to all parts of Lighthouse) Lighthouse Emergency Services (the most comprehensive emergency services center in Oakland County), Lighthouse PATH (the first and most successful transitional housing program in Oakland County), and Lighthouse Community Development (the most successful non-profit housing corporation in Oakland County).

Lighthouse of Oakland County, Inc. provided a wide array of services to each subsidiary including accounting and finance, volunteer recruitment and coordination, an active development program (donor recruitment and retention, coordination of appeals and special events, and public relations and agency communications), and general administrative oversight.

Lighthouse has since combined many of its programs under the umbrella corporation and is now known simply as Lighthouse of Oakland County. The programs Lighthouse continues to provide include Emergency Services, which responds to families and seniors who have an immediate need for food, housing assistance, utility assistance, medical assistance, transportation, and assistance with a variety of other crisis situations. With a staff of modest size and a large number of dedicated volunteers, Emergency Services helps prevent hunger and homelessness for thousands of Oakland County families each year.

Lighthouse PATH continues to provide a transitional supportive housing program designed to help homeless women and children gain the skills and confidence needed to live safely and independently. Participants may live at PATH for up to two years while they complete their education, get a job, or enroll in a job training program. Supportive services include an infant/ toddler center, individual and group counseling, medical care, workforce development, and life skills classes.

Lighthouse attributes much of its success to its large volunteer staff. In 1990, the valuable support of Lighthouse volunteers was recognized when President Bush awarded the volunteers the 376th Point of Light for their outstanding community service. In 1997 Lighthouse was proud to have been named the best-managed nonprofit by Crain’s Detroit Business.

In 2001 Lighthouse completed the Keepers of Hope Capital Campaign and moved into new facilities in Pontiac to better accommodate our various programs and expand our footprint in the surrounding community. In 2002, Lighthouse Clarkston moved into their new location enabling them to serve more clients. In 2005 Lighthouse launched the PATH Teen Transitional Housing program to serve homeless pregnant and parenting young women and in 2009 Lighthouse became a charter member of the NeighborWorks network.

A huge accomplishment for Lighthouse was expanding our service to northern Oakland County. In 1998, Lighthouse opened a satellite office in Clarkston, Michigan. The Clarkston community welcomed Lighthouse with open arms and in 2017 we moved to a more central location on Dixie Highway.

Lighthouse proudly celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2012, and in 2016 the Lighthouse PATH program celebrated its 25 years of success in serving homeless women and their children.

Now