Dear Friends of the Lighthouse,
My wife Sue and I first started volunteering at the Lighthouse in 2005, when we heard from a parent that the residents needed volunteer ski coaches for training for the Special Olympics. We thought it would be a good way to give of our time while using our love of skiing. We quickly learned that although our time contribution was needed and very much appreciated, we were the ones who were truly blessed by our spending time with the Lighthouse residents.
Each ski run and loading at the chairlift produced an enthusiastic “this is awesome!”. The resident’s enthusiasm for whatever they were doing, their love of God and of others, and their grateful attitude taught us a lot about how we should live, and we were blessed by being with them. We ski coached for about five years and others are now doing it, but the friendships we made with the Lighthouse residents during the years we coached created lifelong relationships for us and for them. We now find other ways to volunteer at the Lighthouse, and each time we do, we benefit from it.
The Lighthouse is a blessing to so many including the 16 residents who live there, the staff, the volunteers who serve, the donors who give, those in our community who interact with the residents and the families of the residents.
Rose, Andy’s (a resident) Mom said; “…As a single, working mother when Andy was in high school, I worried about what would become of him after school when I couldn’t be there to look after him all day, and he might be alone…about the time he was graduating I learned of the Lighthouse and knew this was the perfect place for him. He has been there for several years, is part of a big family there and has a full life with a lot of activities and support…I’m grateful he is at the Lighthouse…”
Over the years we have watched the Lighthouse residents mature and grow in their faith and in their love for one another. We are especially impressed by how each resident has developed their special purpose at the Lighthouse, according to their talents and abilities. Living at the Lighthouse has enabled each resident to have a life full of purpose and dignity, where their faith can be encouraged and developed, and where they have learned to love and serve one another.
As a new Member of the Board of Directors and as a friend of the Lighthouse, I would like to encourage you to give to the Lighthouse as you are led by the Lord, and I would like to thank all of the volunteers, staff and donors. Your time and your gifts are what make the mission of the Lighthouse possible.
In Christ,
Tom Courtney
Board Member