Mission Statement
One family at a time, we turn empty spaces into homes for homeless or low-income residents who have secured affordable housing. We seek to channel community generosity to those we serve, uplifted by volunteers, partnerships, and donated household goods. Vision Statement
Our vision is to help restore stability and independence in people’s lives, so every person may enjoy a life
free of poverty. History
LightHouse DC (“LightHouse”) is an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded February 2017 in Washington, DC by nonprofit and community leaders. From years of nonprofit service, Co-Founders Brian Hart and Jingwen Sun had worked closely with homeless and low-income residents in the community. They, with Founding Board Members, witnessed a deep problem: lack of housing stability for residents. More specifically, they saw many families and individuals without basic furniture – beds, tables, sofas – and household goods. Children had to eat and sleep on the floor, while families lived in empty spaces. This caused serious ramifications for their education, careers, and stability. Families reverted to homelessness. Inspired to act, the founders conceived of LightHouse DC to meet this urgent, basic human need. Challenge
Poverty, including housing stability, remains a global crisis. In Washington, DC, over 8,000 individuals and families are experiencing homelessness, while 26,000 residents are on the brink of losing their homes. 120,000 DC residents lack basic economic security. The “Housing First” model, first proposed in the late 1980’s, aims to reduce homelessness by first providing those in need with a stable home. The model has a continuum of care that begins with provision of shelter (e.g., building, renting, or subsidizing housing) and ends with supportive services. With the foundation of a stable home, families and individuals can more effectively utilize services like education, counseling, and job training that help them avoid homelessness. In recent years, the model has demonstrated significant success reducing homelessness in places like Utah and Phoenix, and it has gained traction among policy makers across the country, including Washington, DC. However, a major problem – though overlooked – exists when many families and individuals who secure affordable housing have no furnishings or household goods. The cost to a family to fully furnish a house is at minimum $1,300 to $1,500. Homeless and low-income families or individuals cannot bear that burden. Similarly, most cannot afford the cost of transportation, moving labor, and scheduling involved with pick-ups from furniture banks. As a result, many families and individuals are left to live in an empty space, eat and sleep on the floor, or revert to homelessness. The vicious cycle of poverty for those families and our communities perpetuates. LightHouse Solution
LightHouse fills this critical gap by providing furniture and household goods to homeless and low-income families or individuals who have secured affordable housing. What makes LightHouse different? Unlike any other service in the DC metro area, we deliver directly to those in need and furnish their houses, turning empty spaces into homes. Additionally, we aim to reduce massive waitlists so clients have to wait no longer than 14 days for their furnishings. We use a collaborative, lean operations model to responsibly leverage community generosity. This means we maintain a low inventory and deliver goods as quickly and efficiently as possible. We operate with a full-time staff of two, working with over 50 volunteers and pro bono professionals. On the donor side, we coordinate and collect donations of furniture and household goods, including pick-ups at donors’ residences or places of business. We cultivate relationships with companies, churches, local businesses, and individuals who donate: (1) moving services, (2) transportation, (3) storage, (4) professional services (e.g., interior design, video) and more. On the service side, we coordinate and deliver donations of furniture and household goods to our clients, including at-home furnishing and decorating. We form partnerships with nonprofits and government agencies who provide direct services to low-income residents, and we work closely with their case managers to coordinate services. By working with approved partners, we eliminate redundancies and streamline the vetting process. We also reduce staffing and financial costs of our partners while allowing LightHouse to focus on what it does best: turning people’s houses into homes. This win-win creates the most positive impact for clients. After we have provided services, we maintain a relationship with our clients. We believe that every person we serve is a client for life. If they have additional requests in the future, which can happen, we are happy to help. We keep in touch with our clients through a variety of means: telephone, social media, email, and community events. We also specifically follow up with clients at 3 and 6 month intervals to check on their well-being and gauge the impact of our services.
