Metro Detroit Organizations Continue to Help the Homeless During the Holidays

PODCAST:

Nov. 17, 2024 ~ Lighthouse was established in 2019, when Lighthouse of Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter combined forces and merged agencies. LOC was founded in 1972 and started with a group of volunteers who provided food and clothing from the back door of a local church. SOS was established in 1985 by seven religious congregations in Oakland County. The new Lighthouse will leverage the best of both agencies, providing direct services such as food, shelter, rental/utility, financial assistance, crisis referrals, and housing programs that develop and support self-sufficiency. Ryan Hertz, Lighthouse CEO, joins Michigan Voices to talk about the organization’s Thanksgiving and Christmas programs.

Meagan Dunn, CEO of Covenant House Michigan, joins Michigan Voices to discuss working with homeless youth in Michigan. Covenant House Michigan is a nonprofit organization in Detroit and Grand Rapids that offers more than a dozen programs and services to young people ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness. The programs provide shelter, teach life skills, and create pathways to employment to help young people achieve their dreams. The group also provides street outreach, short-term shelter, transitional living, and more. This past year alone, Covenant House Michigan provided more than 29,500 nights of housing to young people in Detroit and Grand Rapids.