"Sometimes it's not even being kicked out of the home but just when the parents have a negative reaction, it makes the living situation stressful for them," said volunteer Aubrey Sarna.

Every couple of weeks or so, Hamilton County child welfare workers pull out a cot between the desks and file cabinets of their downtown Cincinnati office building and put a child to sleep because they can’t find a suitable family member or an available foster home.

“I really don’t want any other homeless youth to be in my shoes,” Shawn Ingle said. “To be sleeping under a bridge or begging for food.”

The need for foster parents in our community is greater than ever. Fueled by the heroin epidemic, there are now more kids in foster care in Hamilton County than at any time in the past 20 years. The average number of new children coming into the system annually was 786. Last year, the number jumped to 1,163.

"You are sitting out there, excited and relieved at the same time,'' said Laquita Howell, a foster care graduate who is now a mom, a JFS worker, and Lighthouse Board member. "Lean on your mentors, ask for help when you need it." And perhaps most important, she told them to never give up on themselves: "Keep telling yourself: 'I can finish it. I know I can, I know I can.' "

"At Lighthouse, they know that ending homelessness is about more than providing a roof and a bed – it's about addressing the root causes of homelessness, from family rejection to poverty and trauma. And it's about creating an accepting environment for everyone who comes to Lighthouse in need of resources and support." - Sheryl Sandberg

Your advocacy efforts are needed to ensure the Bridges program maintains its funding in the pending state budget legislation. Thousands of foster youth are counting on you.

“Lighthouse is honored to receive this distinction. To win an award where the judges are the employees is truly humbling. I’d like to thank the staff at Lighthouse. Their dedication, collaboration, and commitment to serving our community inspires me, and I’m grateful for their contributions,” said Paul Haffner, Lighthouse President & CEO.