Arthur E. Foulkes
Christmas morning was “fantastic,” according to 11-year-old Logan Young, and “perfect,” according to his 10-year-old sister, Amber, both temporarily living at the Light House Mission in Terre Haute.
The active and enthusiastic youngsters gave and received gifts, attended chapel services and shared Christmas day meals with their parents, Steven and Billie Young of Terre Haute.
“We’re not homeless; we’re houseless,” Billie said of her young family, smiling. The Youngs have been living at the Light House Mission for around a month-and-a-half. They were planning to visit relatives later in the day, but Christmas morning they spent together in their apartment at the mission.
“The best thing is that the family is still together,” Steven Young said.
A job that fell through led him and his family to move into the mission for temporary shelter, warm meals, and a safe place to stay, he said.
Four other families are among the approximately 90 people currently living at the Light House Mission, according to Steve Hensley, assistant men’s coordinator and a current resident at the mission.
“If you’re down on your luck, it’s a great place,” said former resident Gregory Puckett, who was having his noon meal at the mission Christmas day and who planned to return for the Christmas dinner. Puckett gave the blessing before the noon meal, which volunteers served to a room full of guests and mission residents.
Last year the Light House Mission served Christmas dinner to more than 300 people and nearly that many were expected again this year, Hensley said.
“People run out of food stamps” at the end of the month, he said. “They have no where to go.”
Food prepared for this Christmas day included over 100 pounds of ham, 16 turkeys and 36 pumpkin pies, according to cook Bill Bower.
“All of this is donated,” Hensley said. “We couldn’t run” without donations, he said.
At its busiest times, the mission serves between 300 and 500 meals each day, Hensley said. The mission served nearly 138,000 meals in 2003, according to the mission’s Web site.
“That’s breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Hensley said.
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In addition to residents and staff, volunteers from schools, churches and the community in general help serve meals and keep things running on a daily basis at the Light House Mission.
“It’s always a good feeling” to help others, said Joe McVey, a first time volunteer at the mission this Christmas.
“It’s just nice to help other people,” said Marcella Bohlander of Terre Haute, a second-time Christmas day volunteer. “You never know when you’ll need it yourself.”
The Light House Mission, at 1450 Wabash Ave., provides shelter, food, clothing and other services for thousands of people in need in the Wabash Valley each year. Some only stay at the mission for a night; others stay much longer, Hensley said. A separate facility known as the Conners Center, in north Terre Haute, serves single women and women with children, he said.
The Light House Mission was established in 1890 but only moved to its current Wabash Avenue address in 1990. The 100,000 square foot, five-story building it occupies was a former home of the Miller-Parrott Baking Company, according to the book “Terre Haute: Queen City of the Wabash” by Mike McCormick.
The Mission contains a multi-bed sleeping space, several dormitory-style rooms with bunk beds, some private apartments, a chapel, a dinning room, a computer classroom where GED classes are taught, and a large storage area for donated items to be sold at one of the mission’s thrift shops.
“We are always busy,” said Todd Wells, a resident and volunteer at the donation drop-off area on the east side of the building. “Especially this time of year,” he said.
Donations are accepted at the drop-off area between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, Hensley said.
Residents at the Light House Mission are expected to follow the rules. Those rules include keeping a neat sleeping area, attending chapel services, attending at least one local church service per week outside of the mission and refraining from smoking, alcohol or drug use.
“We take [the rules] very seriously,” Hensley said. He admits he didn’t much like the rules when he first came to the mission some 18 months ago. But he has worked his way up through different jobs and gotten more and more responsibility during his 18 months of living at the mission.
“If you really want to change your life, you can,” he said.
The Light House Mission, Inc. is a not-for-profit charitable organization that “does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, physical disability or medical condition,” according to the mission’s Web site, at www.thlhm.org.
The Mission provided services to over 15,000 people in 2003, the Web site said, including over 34,000 nights of shelter.
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can contact the Light House Mission at 232-7001.
For many people in the Wabash Valley, the Light House Mission provided spiritual and physical support this Christmas. From residents, to guests, to volunteers, everyone entering the mission seemed to benefit.
“It’s all here to help people,” Hensley said. “The mission has been a blessing.”
Arthur Foulkes can be contacted at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
