|
 Lighthouse
of the Valley is a non-profit organization. Alan Daggett is the
founder and CEO. He said the mission is to provide services that
benefit the community through various support services.
A Board of Directors governs LOTV with Daggett as President,
Reverend Janice Brett is CEO and Mary Kay Snyder as Secretary.
Services of LOTV include the thrift store, Lincoln
Center Kitchen Connection, an event center, the Ascending Hands
project, pastoral care, opportunities for community involvement and
even transportation if needed. Daggett said he wants to meet people
where they are. To Daggett, it is community outreach and not
community handout.
According to their brochure, “the vision of
Lighthouse of the Valley is to activate programs and services that
benefit the community through a variety of support services,
education programs and resources that will empower individuals and
their families to live a healthy lifestyle physically, mentally and
spiritually.”
All the items in the thrift store are donated. Daggett said he does
not purchase and resell items at this point.
Items in the thrift store section of the building
include clothing, kitchen items, computer monitors, artwork, games,
toys, puzzles and baby items.
Affordability is key. Daggett said they try to price everything very
reasonably, so most items are five dollars or less. Those who wish
to donate items may bring them to the store Mondays through Fridays
between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The money raised in the thrift store will go to support various
Lincoln Center programs.
The Lincoln Center Kitchen Connection will soon serve
meals with all proceeds going to support the programs. Daggett said
they are almost done setting up the kitchen and are just waiting to
have it inspected. Once the kitchen passes inspection, they plan to
serve lunch and dinner on Mondays and breakfast every other
Saturday.
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The event center, which is the
space that once served as the sanctuary for Open Arms Christian
Fellowship, is already available to rent for events such as
weddings, receptions, church service and birthday parties.
Daggett said the charge for using the event center is $25.
The Ascending Hands Project helps people move onward and upward
with re-entry programs. These programs will help people with
career goals, permanent housing goals, transportation goals,
professional development, life skills, parenting and
transitional housing.
This project is described in the brochure as “self-help, pay it
forward process designed to provide options that will prevent
displacement of individuals that find themselves in adverse
situations of which there seems to be no hope.”
The project is also “designed to empower anyone willing to
recover and ascend from the darkness of defeat and hopelessness…
[which] is accomplished through efforts of each individual as
they discover a means of developing an overall quality of life
for themselves.
Those who want to be part of the Ascending Hands Project must
first do a placement assessment that includes providing personal
information, participating in a criminal background check,
sharing information on their educational background and work
history and listing their personal strengths and personal
challenges.
After the initial assessment, participants will be put into both
the Apprentice and Mentorship processes.
For the professional mentorship process, they will be “matched
up with mentors in areas of professional growth and the career
discernment process is completed.”
With the apprentice process, participants must “enter in a
commitment agreement, fulfill recommended counseling and
referrals and begin the education process as determined at the
placement assessment.” This process will be done through
Lighthouse of the Valley and the pay it forward process, “which
meets the educational and facility expenses and provides funding
for future participants.”
The apprenticeship agreement will assist those participating in
learning a trade from someone in a participating organization or
business, developing long term career goals, applying for and
obtaining a job, career recommendations and assistance
referrals.
As part of the mentorship process, participants will be expected
to fulfill recommended requests like pastoral and professional
counseling, life coaching, spiritual direction, education, GED,
education requirements of apprenticeship provides, health and
wellness, professional development and parenting courses.
Once an apprenticeship is completed, participants will need to
continue any education and mentorship recommended and
participate in the “Pay-It-Forward” part of this process.
As part of the pay-it-forward process, Ascending
Hands Project participants “will be required to pay forward three
percent of their net income” to the Lighthouse of Valley.
Daggett said those who are part of the Ascending Hands Project will
also volunteer at least five hours a month at the thrift store as
part of paying it forward.
The funds from the Pay-It-Forward part of the program will help with
education and facility expenses plus provide funding for
participants in the future.
Ascending Hands Project Components
Other Ascending Hands programs are the careers program, housing
program and transportation program. These programs are all intended
to promote “self-esteem, people skills, and a methodology that
promotes self-dedication and a positive work ethic.”
The careers program participants will volunteer at Lighthouse of the
Valley while they work at another job, look for jobs, work on their
education or participate in a mentorship.
The Ascending Hands project will assist participants with being
placed in their chosen field. As the brochure says, “the purpose of
this portion of the careers program is to provide hands-on
experience and a better sense of the true duties of the profession
before seeking training and educational funding.” By giving
participants this experience, the hope is to provide them with more
likelihood of success “while also saving funds by not sending
participants through schooling for a position that may not be a good
fit.”
The housing program “is designed to provide permanent affordable
housing by assisting the participant with a low-cost mobile home in
a suitable park for those individual target goals.” To qualify, a
participant will be be working on target goals such as job,
transportation and education to qualify for the housing program.
Participants must be working and able to afford lot rent plus a flat
$200 per month house payment. The house payment will be paid to
Lighthouse of the Valley “to repay any monies owed to the Ascending
Hands Project for purchase assistance.”
The transportation program “is designed to assist in affordable
financing through automotive sales partners” plus “assist in
down-payment arrangements with its sales partners.”
Participants in the transportation program must also be keeping up
with their target goals. To qualify for this part of the program,
they must be employed continuously for six months.
For each of these programs, the participants must be continuing to
work on their goals.
As their brochure says, “Lighthouse of the Valley is dedicated to
providing a caring environment for all people, which includes
physical, emotional and spiritual support by being a light ascending
from the darkness.”
[Angela Reiners] |
