Many Lights Foundation Programs
We believe a community of caring, connected, empowered individuals can heal and enrich each other’s lives. Staff, volunteers and social service partners will help guide, rather than govern, the community in forming healthy, supportive relationships: the residents themselves are a force for change.
When Hope Lights Community is developed, there will be a variety of programs and services that will support the residents who live there, including mental health services, adoption guidance, grandparent mentoring, health and wellness, respite care, and more. Educational, recreational, and cultural offerings will also be available in the community for all residents.
A unique and cooperative neighborhood, Hope Lights will have 36 affordable residences for adults over 55 years of age and 12 homes for kinship and those families adopting children from foster care. It will also include a multigenerational community center, library, tutoring and computer rooms, garden and play areas.
We anticipate our first families moving in by 2017.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Our board recruitment and development efforts are paying off! Our board members have diverse backgrounds and have enabled us to expand our resources. Organizational development as well as urban planning, real estate development, financial expertise and communications are among our strengths.
We have identified a real estate development partner, architectural expertise, pre-development financing and have also identified potential land to build Hope Lights Community. in 2013, we are working to finalize land acquisition for site development. Our founder,who is also the Acting Executive Director works in a voluntary role. We recently hired Development Director (Q2 2013) will enable us to build a sustained development strategy while expanding our donor reach. Among our goals for 2014 is to hire a full time Executive Director.
Our current needs are: On going operational funding for 2013, funding for an Executive Director position in 2014, additional Board Members and Advisers.