Ianthe Saylor
25 February 2007

Junior League overhauls family apartment at the Lighthouse Shelter in Annapolis

Annapolis, MD – [February 25, 2007] – On February 9, 10 and 11, The Junior League of Annapolis provided an “Extreme Makeover” for one family at the Lighthouse Shelter  on West Street.  The apartment is provided as short-term housing for homeless families with a maximum stay of 90 days.  In addition to two family apartments, the shelter provides 15 beds- 10 for men, 5 for women- for homeless individuals.  It is one of only a few shelters in Anne Arundel County to house both men and women.

More then 30 League members and their families worked over the three-day period, making repairs and providing cosmetic enhancements.  Volunteers removed everything from the apartment, repaired walls and ceilings, and painted courtesy of paint and supplies donated by Rob Bontempo of Annapolis Painting Services and Mark Coale of Maryland Paint and Decorating, both of Annapolis.  When repairs were completed, a thorough cleaning ensued.  It was then that new furniture, mattresses, linens, artwork, lighting, rugs, dishes, kitchenware, bath fixtures and fun items like bunk beds and a play tent were brought in.  The project was funded in part by a private financial donation and a donation of goods by members of the Junior League of Annapolis.

The makeover culminated with the family returning home on Sunday evening to a surprise “reveal.”  The three young children who currently live at the apartment jumped up and down as they discovered their new bedrooms and new toys and clothing donated by the League.  The mother of the young children pronounced the makeover “beautiful,” and thanked League volunteers for turning the apartment into a home.  The Lighthouse Shelter’s motto is “it is not just a bed, it’s a beginning.” And for one family this weekend, their beginning included a beautiful apartment.  For more information on the Lighthouse Shelter or the Junior League of Annapolis, please contact 410-224-8984 or visit www.jlannapolis.org.

With only two apartments, the shelter must often turn away families.  Lack of affordable housing continues to be a problem in Anne Arundel County, and recent statistics support the belief that conditions will continue to worsen in the immediate future.  In 2005 Anne Arundel County had almost 2000 individuals in shelters and roughly 300 of them were children. In 2006, due to lack of beds, the Lighthouse Shelter turned away more then 250 children.