This is the first in a series of
spotlights on the charities that Mannequin Boutique benefits. Mannequin
Boutique is a non-profit whose proceeds go to seven different
charities in the city of Cincinnati.
One of those charities is
Lighthouse Youth Services. Lighthouse
Youth Services has been helping children and families in the Cincinnati area
since 1969, when a group of church women wanted to help girls who were released
from correctional institutions and had nowhere to go. In keeping with its name, Lighthouse Youth
Services serves children and youth from prenatal to 24 years of age. Lighthouse helps youth by teaching independent
living skills, providing programs for those with mental health diagnoses,
providing care for homeless youth, and youth in the foster care system, by
placing them with caring families. Except for programs located in Dayton and
Bainbridge, Ohio, Lighthouse programs are local.
One of these programs is the Lighthouse
Community School. The Lighthouse
Community School is a charter school sponsored by Cincinnati Public Schools. It offers classes for children who have had
difficulties in other learning environments. This past May, seven students graduated with
high school diplomas!
The Lighthouse Youth Center at
Paint Creek is a juvenile correctional institution in Bainbridge, Ohio, that serves
young men from all over Ohio. During the
annual state inspection last year, the institution was called a “model of
rehabilitation.” The campus includes residence
halls, a gymnasium, a library, a greenhouse, and a charter school. Last spring,
the Paint Creek Academy saw 26 residents graduate with high school diplomas. Paint Creek residents also raise tilapia and
grow plants and fruit to sell in the local communities.
Though there are numerous programs
that Lighthouse Youth Services runs to support local youth in need, I will
touch on just one more. In 2010, construction
began for the Lighthouse Sheakley Center for Youth, named for generous
Lighthouse supporters Rhonda and Larry Sheakley. The Sheakley Center for Youth is a 28-bed
homeless shelter and drop-in center for young adults, age 18-24. Between the Sheakley Center for Youth and the Lighthouse
Youth Crisis Center (an emergency shelter for children, age 10-17), Lighthouse
has served over 2,000 children and young adults in the past year.
Lighthouse Youth Services is a
beacon of hope for all children and youth in Cincinnati. Mannequin is honored to support such a fine
organization and encourages you to consider volunteer opportunities at
Lighthouse Youth Services. To discover these volunteer opportunities and to learn
more, check out http://www.lys.org.
