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Why Donate? There is a huge shortage of safe, affordable housing for children and their recovering mothers. The children are helpless and often their mothers are too. Women leave residential treatment with high hopes and determination for continued sobriety. They want to succeed for themselves and their children. Many of these single mothers have little training, education, experience, or job skills. They are expected to continue treatment, get a job, or get into school, take care of and support themselves and their children. It is overwhelming. Where will they live that is safe? How can they afford food and housing? How can they possibly do all this and stay clean and sober too? So what does this have to do with you? Are you affected by drug and alcohol addiction? YES! This problem affects every one. All of us have family friends, or neighbors suffering from addiction. It is a national crisis. With nearly 80% of jail inmates charged with drug and alcohol related crimes, innocent people are violated, robbed, injured or dead as a result of this disease. We pay for this in so many ways as it continues to grow. There are many addicts who are sincerely trying to escape the grips of their problem. Even after drug and alcohol treatment, addicts my relapse and return to their addiction. They develop a pattern of behavior called chronic relapse. Your donation can help provide a facility and an environment of support to greatly increase the probability of recovery. Send your donations to: Lighthouse Lodge You Can Make a Difference Unless things are DIFFERENT what hope do these children have? In your heart of hearts do you sense that many children are living tragic desperate lives in alcohol and drug infested homes? Consider these true stories: (Names have been changed). Jimmy is 5. His mom is an alcoholic. Some times he can’t wake her up in the afternoon or evening, or morning. Jimmy doesn’t know if mom is sick or dead. He is afraid and confused. When mom is awake she usually has a strange man at the house or she goes out at night to the bar. Jimmy is hungry, lonely, scared. Some times Jimmy is alone. Jimmy almost never feels secure, loved and safe. His mom started partying in high school and became pregnant with Jimmy. She doesn’t know who his dad is and none of her partners claim responsibility. In her sober moments she wants to be a good mom. She is young, has little education, no job skills, and little hope of making it on her own with Jimmy. She craves a man to be with her and take care of her and Jimmy. She herself is scared. When she tries to face her desperate situation she feels overwhelmed and hopeless. The men she brings home also drink. They take advantage of her and her desperate situation. They promise her everything and deliver nothing and even rob her of self esteem and self worth. They are at best losers and most often predictors. Mom can’t face the rejection, bills, neglecting of Jimmy, guilt and shame. What is her answer? Alcohol. Alcohol calms her nerves and makes her feel tingly inside. With a few drinks she can even forget that Jimmy is neglected and that the rent is due. She can party with the current predator and forget all her troubles. She even has fun. After all it’s a party. The fear and pain go away. What an easy inexpensive solution. Mr. Drinker will usually buy the alcohol for what he can get out of her in bed. Things get more desperate and hopeless. She starts shop lifting and goes to jail. Unless things are DIFFERENT, what’s to become of Jimmy? What’s to become of Jimmy’s mom? Brittney is 4 years old and has a little brother who is 2. She is terrified. It is after midnight. Her mom is fighting again in the other room with some man. Mom and the man have been shooting up methamphetamines together. The man yells and hits Mom. Mom screams. Brittney feels like screaming but is afraid if she does, she and her brother will also get hit. Strangers have been coming in and out all night just like most other nights because Mom is a “meth cook”. She makes meth in her home and sells it. Mom uses and sells meth to escape from her desperate situation of no money, no education, no job skills, no parenting skills, no self worth and no way to face the problems. She has become addicted. Britney lives in fear, violence, pain, neglect, abuse and confusion. She lives in a state of terror and trauma. She is in danger not only from the obvious violence but also from the chemical dangers associated with living in a meth lab. One night there is a police raid on the house. There is confusion and screaming. The kids are ripped screaming from their screaming mother. The kids go to child protection and mom goes to jail. Unless things are DIFFERENT what’s to become and Brittney and her little brother? What’s to become of Mom? When the above mentioned women went before the judge, he sentenced them to residential drug and alcohol treatment. In treatment they attended AA/NA, worked on issues, and learned tools and skills and in about 30 days are sent back out to cope with life including housing, children, treatment, education, and a job. Unless things are DIFFERENT what hope is there for them and their children? LIGHTHOUSE LODGE WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. LIGHTHOUSE LODGE OFFERS HOPE, A PLAN AND A FACILITY. These moms need a safe place for themselves and their children to live while continuing out patient treatment. They need the rent paid while they learn job skills, parenting skills and other life skills. They need the chance to become independent and self reliant without a man in the mix to add confusion, stress, and too often relapse and failure. Contact Louise Knapp for information on making your tax deductible donation to us: |
