Lighthouse Ministries Inc. is dedicated to reaching the least, the last and the lost for Jesus Christ. Today, Lighthouse Ministries continues its fight against homelessness by providing food, clothing, shelter and various life recovery programs to the homeless and at-risk communities of Central Florida. Locally, the Brandon Thrift Store, located at 535 E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon, was opened in 2009.
The thrift store is open to anyone who would like to shop or donate gently used items for sale. Within the thrift store, Lighthouse Ministries offers the HOPE Assistance, which provides for those in need through an application process.
If you need help, Lighthouse Ministries will provide a food box which you can get every 30 days. You can get three outfits per individual every 90 days. Once a year, you can get furniture and other household items.
It also offers monthly emergency vouchers for a set of clothing for homeless individuals.
People in need should plan on bringing proof of income for anyone living in the household, as well as copies of bills such as utility, gas, water, cable and car payments. You will need to bring copies of all ID cards for anyone over 18 years old who lives in the household along with the last four digits of social security numbers for all individuals living in the household.
Rob Clark, communications director for Lighthouse Ministries, said, “The Brandon location is set apart by the spirit of God to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to meet the physical and emotional needs of the poor and at-risk people of Brandon and its neighbors. We want people to know that we employ 22 people at this location, and we serve thousands in Hillsborough County.”
Lighthouse Ministries has two other campuses in Hillsborough County. There is one in Ybor City which is at the Kimmins Campus and one in Plant City. The Ybor location offers a multitude of classes including GED and faith and finance classes. Plant City houses a smaller retail store as well as HOPE Assistance.
For more information on Lighthouse Ministries either to get help or to learn how you can give and volunteer, please visit www.lighthousemin.org.
