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Lighthouse Homes & Hubs

A house alone is not a home – it’s about so much more than providing just a roof for homeless young people.

Our Lighthouse Homes

A house alone is not a home – it’s about so much more than providing just a roof for homeless young people. Our houses are designed to be typical family homes in every sense of the word. From the outside, a Lighthouse home looks like any other house in an ordinary suburban street. From the moment you walk in, they instantly feel welcoming. And it’s not just the beautiful soft furnishings or colourful décor – although both help. There’s something else. The space is authentic and is a genuine reflection of the carers and young people who live there. Photo frames adorn the walls, fridges are covered in notes and certificates, a pair of shoes are in the corner, a blanket on the couch, and perhaps even a coffee cup or two left on the table.

Our homes evoke a sense of comfort for our young people as their identity is sprinkled throughout each room – a safe and loving space for them to begin their healing journey. Donations of furniture, homewares and clothing are accepted by the Foundation on the condition that they are brand new only. This demonstrates to the young people that they are worthy of new possessions, respected and valued.

Youth Resource Centre

Our Youth Resource Centre, located in Cremorne, is the central hub for all of our homes, young people, carers and staff members. Our young people are free to come and go at this centre, which features open-plan workspaces for our team, kitchen/laundry facilities, study/lounge areas as well as access to food, clothing and toiletry supplies. One of the centre’s primary purposes is to provide a space where regular psychological counselling and therapy can occur, and where there is a sense of fellowship and community that all of the young people can experience… a place where they belong. This centre is an important component of our ‘On for Life’ Outreach program, providing a central space for our community to connect to home.

It also provides a place for our young people to participate in expressive art therapy as well as their individual therapy, guided by a trained art therapist. Through this process they learn to self-regulate, and to bridge sensory memories and narratives with the ultimate goal of integrating their trauma. Expressive art therapy allows for young people to express themselves in a safe way that is very different to talk therapies. The impact of integrating expressive art therapy into the daily routine of our Youth Resource Centre is seen in young people developing their social skills, learning how to function in a group, feel empowered to participate, learn to express themselves, be seen and heard.

Foster Care Hub

The ‘Lighthouse Foster Hub’ is a central place of support and community for the ten foster families and children. It is a place where they can come together as a community for connection and support. The hub’s purpose is to provide a safe place to support foster carers and children with both day activities and overnight respite. The hub will also be used to provide training to foster carers as well as a place to come together for events and celebrations such as birthdays or barbecues. Our hub home aims to become a ‘home away from home’ for all children in our foster care program by providing a thoughtful and considered approach to care.

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