Lighthouse will shine in larger new quarters
MIDDLESEX TWP — The Lighthouse Foundation is planning to move into a new facility and expand its operations, thanks to a $40,000 grant award from the Walmart Foundation.
On Thursday, the organization, which is described on its website as a “Christian outreach organization meeting the needs of impoverished individuals and families in northern Allegheny and Butler counties,” announced plans to move into the former Middlesex Township Elementary School building on Browns Hill Road.
The former school is now owned by Concordia Lutheran Ministries, which will donate 6,500 square feet of space to house offices and the food bank.
The Lighthouse Foundation is currently based just over a mile away on East Cruikshank Road, and Cindy Cipoletti, the organization's executive director, said the new building will allow for the expansion of its food pantry operation.
“This new location will let us expand our mission of service and help neighbors in need.
“In 2016, we served more than 1,900 families, 25 percent more than the previous year,” she said. “The number we are serving is growing due to a variety of reasons, including the increased cost of living, changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and individual unforeseen crises.”
In addition to the grant from the Walmart Foundation, the Lighthouse Foundation received 114,283 pounds of donations, which included health and beauty items and food, from the Walmart stores in Cranberry and Gibsonia in 2016.
Shawn Kane, who manages Walmart's Cranberry store, said the company is happy to help out.
“We couldn't be happier to support the great work of the Lighthouse Foundation. Their service to families across Butler County stands as a real example of what good neighbors should do,” Kane said. “As members of this community, Walmart is proud to stand beside them and help.”
