It's #volunteerappreciation week-a big THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers! We need you and we appreciate you!

When he was 13 years old, Lexavier bounced from relatives’ houses to friends’ couches. He had no structure or stability. When he began living at the Lighthouse Youth Development Center (YDC), everything changed. YDC is a residential treatment home for boys. “Life was crazy and awful,” he says. “I didn’t have a home until I came to Lighthouse. It took me a while to understand they were there to help me.”

The Leadership Council for Nonprofits is honoring Lighthouse with its first Inclusive Culture Award.

Lighthouse is pleased to announce four new members have joined its Board of Trustees. The new additions include Doug Bierer, Greg Hartmann, Kick Lee, and Kenneth Parker.

The University of Cincinnati honored Lighthouse Foster Care and Adoption during the UC football game on November 23. UC donated tickets for Lighthouse families and employees to that game as well as for the game on October 19.  We are so grateful!

If you can, it’s best to have a room ready that is warm and inviting with a comforter and stuffed animal that are suitable to the child’s age. “You don’t want it to feel like an institution,” says Becky Story, Lighthouse Foster Care & Adoption Licensing Specialist, "but you also don’t want to be too specific in tastes so that the child perceives,“Wow, this is what they want me to be?”Give the child somewhere cozy to settle in, but then as you get to know one another ask,“What do you like?” Once settled in, let the child choose a few items—perhaps a new bedspread or some posters—to personalize their space.

Your help is needed! The holiday season can be particularly difficult for children and young people who can’t be with their families and for the families who are struggling each day to make ends meet. You can brighten their holidays by becoming a part of the Lighthouse Happy Holidays Gift Drive.

"Young adults working to escape homelessness should not have to choose between stable housing or pursuing their education. It’s unacceptable. At Lighthouse, we see young people forced to contend with this dilemma every day. This exception to the LIHTC rule will remove this barrier to their success and encourage young people experiencing homelessness to pursue their dreams,” said Paul Haffner, President and CEO of Lighthouse Youth & Family Services.