Oakland County may be the richest of Michigan’s 83, but not everyone who lives here is rich—or even broke.
U.S. Census figures show that, of the county’s approximately 1.3 million residents, just over 100,000 are unable to afford adequate housing, food, or transportation. According to Lighthouse’s chief development officer, Russ Russell, there are about 2,500 homeless students in those homes.
On Monday, he led Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on a tour of the Lighthouse Food Warehouse and a temporary shelter for the people.
Despite the dwindling pandemic, he said, the lighthouse still has a waiting list of people who need help. A pilot program, he said, connects a stable family with a needy family, with them working directly on housing and jobs.
“People have Oakland County’s perception that you don’t have people that are insecure or food insecure housing,” she said. “Unfortunately, that’s not true at all.”
She wanted to identify programs that worked across the state, and then find ways for lawmakers to support those programs.
“We always say, ‘If you as an individual don’t know about it, what does it matter what the state can offer you?
The currently 37,000-square-foot Lighthouse warehouse, in addition to thousands of dollars in groceries, some leftover bikes from Lighthouse’s annual Adopt-a-Family event, cluster in one part of the warehouse and stack after stack of brand mattresses, Donations were made to help refugees from Ukraine settle in their future homes.
Nine full-time workers work in the food-delivery program, but hundreds of others lend a helping hand to wholesale charities, repairing meals for household-sized distribution.
Outside the warehouse, a refrigerator truck stores milk, eggs, meat and produce items.
Lighthouse works with home delivery, two on-site shopping centers and churches, senior apartment complexes, and social-service agencies. Last year, about 7,000 volunteer slots were filled by area residents, who donated nearly 26,000 hours of their time to help others, according to Marcy Fitch, Lighthouse’s director of volunteer services. He said volunteers filled about 5,000 shifts in the food service sector, giving more than 19,000 hours to keep the food supply line running.
Nessel asked how Lighthouse helps families in distress when they have pets, and Russell pointed to the columned area of pet-food bags, noting that Lighthouse works with animal rescue operations. .
They also discussed how Michigan is helping people get back on their feet.
The attorney general said current statewide programs include helping people who have lost their driver’s licenses, and the eviction program, which helps people clean up nonviolent criminal records.
Nessel said the state now offers Uber rides for people who want to go to license-reinstatement programs.
“In the criminal justice system we look for ways to remove people from the criminal justice system and find jobs, housing and food for their families,” she said.
Nessel told Russell that she would support his efforts to obtain grants that would help people in poverty.
Those who wish to check donations before donating can visit the AG’s website or call (517) 335-7571 for questions about nonprofit organizations.
