LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lighthouse Ministries are opening a new hygiene station to give those battling homelessness a fresh start.
Owner and Director Tay Henderson's vision of a new haven for personal care, now known as the “cleaning ministries,” has come to fruition.
Upstairs from its dining hall, the center now has multiple rooms with walk-in showers, toilets and hand dryers. It’s a space for individuals who don’t have access to hygiene or bathrooms to use when needed.
It also features rooms for community partners, storage for donated supplies, and for clinical services like a podiatrist—something Henderson spoke about since early this year.
She says it was always a goal to provide ways that help jump start people back on their feet and in an innovative way for the city.
“We’re gonna have wrap-around services. It’s not just about the showers,” Henderson said. “It’s just like feeding people. You take them in and you minister to them. So this is going to be a whole new step really in helping people.”
With unexpected donations from consistent community partners, she says her prayers were answered.
“God put it on my heart, probably about two-years ago, and I realized timing is everything,” she said about her motivation.
A long-time volunteer, marketing and public affairs officer Jackie Powell says donations bring a lot of their efforts to light.
“Everything that the Lighthouse does is dependent upon the business, churches and individual donors because we don’t get a lot of local government funding because we are so adamant about preaching the gospel at each meal,” Powell explained. “So it’s so important to have the support of the community and they have come through so many times through the years.”
The people who Henderson and her team have worked with and even supported in the past now line these walls of the new area.
“These pictures tell a story. I used to run a recovery house for men like a lot of these guys are from that,” Henderson said.
Happy to cut the ribbon on the cleaning ministries, Henderson said she’s most excited to see the difference the nonprofit is making for people in this community.