| Published: January 8, 2010 |  |
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Program offers young adults safe place to go
The transitional living program at the Lighthouse Foundation offers disadvantaged young adults a safe, secure place to stay while pursuing the goals that will allow them to live a productive life.
Claire Borchert, director of transitional housing at Lighthouse Foundation, said she mainly receives clients by agency referral and by young adults calling to inquire about the program, which is for 18- to 21-year-olds.
She said Blanchard House on Mercer Street in Butler has four apartments where young women can live for 18 to 24 months, depending on their needs.
Penney House at the foundation’s home in Middlesex Township has two apartments and one efficiency, where five young men can live until they attain the necessary skills. Penney House’s program also lasts 18 to 24 months. Borchert said most participants have outgrown the foster-home system or were kicked out of their homes upon turning 18.
She said residents complete mandatory productivity hours, where they must pursue education or do volunteer work. Residents are encouraged to work part-time, even if they are attending classes.
She said Lighthouse works with the Job Corps to help the residents determine educational goals. Intermediate Unit 4 provides tutoring for those working toward earning their general equivalency diplomas.
Those in transitional housing also attend monthly skills-of-survival class, which includes instruction on budgeting, resume preparation, emergency preparedness, basic car maintenance and other skills for successful adult life.
“A lot of them haven’t learned the tools they need to be self sufficient and be out there on their own,” she said.
Last year, eight young men cycled through Penney House. Blanchard House currently is full.
The Lighthouse Foundation, on Route 8 near Cruikshank Road, also has transitional housing for single mothers, a food bank, a weekly community dinner, a furniture warehouse for the disadvantaged, the Wheels of Work car program, Christian family counseling, free community computer classes, and a Christian bookstore. To donate or to contact the foundation, call 724-898-4673 or log onto www.thelighthouseonline.net.
