Carla Klecha doesn't want to think about where she would be without the transitional housing program run by the Lighthouse Foundation.

The program provides housing and guidance for young men, women and single-parent families in need.

Klecha, 21, left home in January 2007 because of conflicts with her stepfather.

"It was either me or him that left," she said. "I took like two outfits, put them in a bag and went to school."

A classmate at Butler Beauty School told her about the Lighthouse Foundation, and Klecha set up an interview for the next day.

The Lighthouse Foundation operates in three properties in Butler. Blanchard House on Mercer Street can accommodate four women, and Penney House on Route 8 can accommodate five men, all ages 18 to 21. There are five units on Kaufman Drive for single parents and their children.

The Lighthouse Foundation also owns Safe Harbor in Butler, which offers interim alternative housing. Catholic Charities handles case management for the six apartments, which shelter men, women and families for up to 60 days.

"When we have an opening, it fills up almost immediately," said Claire Borchert, transitional housing director and case manager at the Lighthouse Foundation.

Potential residents are interviewed over the phone and in person. If approved, they are placed on a waiting list for the proper facility.

"I was able to get a place at Blanchard House — I got lucky because two days before, a girl had moved out," said Klecha, who moved in almost immediately.

Agencies like Catholic Charities, Victim Outreach Intervention Center and the Butler County Housing Authority refer cases to the Lighthouse Foundation, but people often call for themselves, Borchert said.

Currently, 30 families are on the waiting list for Kaufman Drive and four men are waiting for Penney House. Blanchard House has one vacancy.

Residents can stay for 18 months and up to 24 months with extenuating circumstances, said Jaime Carter, director of development and public relations.

"During that time, we focus on education, employment, budgeting and family reconciliation," Carter said.

The overarching goal is for residents to become stable and independent, she said.

Klecha stayed at Blanchard House until July 2007, when she left to serve in the Army. After returning the next year, she discovered she was pregnant and moved in with a friend. When the friend started experimenting with drugs, Klecha returned to the Lighthouse Foundation and was placed at Kaufman Drive.

Like all residents, Klecha met weekly with a resident manager, a Lighthouse employee who lives in the house to supervise the occupants.

A year later, Klecha serves as Blanchard House's resident manager and lives there with her 8-month-old son.

"I probably would have been in a lot of trouble (without the program)," Klecha said. "They've helped me a lot and helped me keep my head held high."

Her life experiences have made her a stronger person and a more effective mentor to the current residents, she said.

"I've been in their position before," she said. "Maybe not the exact situation, but I know how it is to not fit in or to live in transitional housing."

In addition to family conflicts, many of the young adults served by the program spent years in foster care and are left to their own devices after their 18th birthdays.

"We see a lot of these kids aging out of the system," Carter said. "They turn 18 and all of a sudden they have nowhere to go, and they might not have the life skills to support themselves."

There is a program fee of $50 per month for young adults in the Blanchard and Penney houses and a cost equal to 30 percent of the income of Kaufman Drive residents.

"It's not exactly rent. It's to get them in the habit of paying rent because when they move out, they'll have a landlord and bills to pay each month," Carter said. "Some of them are not accustomed to that."

Not everyone stays with the program for 18 months, said the Rev. Dan Borchert, Lighthouse executive director. Some residents move through at an accelerated pace.

"A lot of them move out to get their own apartments," he said. "They can leave early if they want. They're completing school, working full time and becoming more independent."

Whatever their goals are, the program requires residents to be productive by keeping track of their activities and submitting records to Claire Borchert.

The staff members and resident managers offer helpful guidance, said Penney House resident Robert Osterrieder.

"The staff doesn't come by and remind you of your responsibilities; they're not babysitters," he said. "But they help you set your goals and make appointments and things like that."

Osterrieder, 20, was referred to the program about five months ago by a caseworker.

"Everyone is here for a reason: We are all trying to get back on our feet," said Osterrieder, adding residents come from a variety of backgrounds.

Osterrieder has struggled with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder and cites the Lighthouse as "a vital part of my mental health."

Osterrieder is able to seek treatment at the Irene Stacy Community Mental Health Center while focusing on his long-term goals of higher education and a respectable job.

He admits to having a troubled relationship with his family, but hopes to repair it during his stay at Penney House.

"I want my parents to be proud of me," he said. "I just want to hear my mom and dad say, 'I'm proud of my son.'"

The Lighthouse has taken on several projects to better serve residents like Klecha and Osterrieder, including reconstruction of the Blanchard House.

The original Blanchard House was destroyed by fire last October. Reconstruction began "literally the day after the fire," according to Dan Borchert, and the house was rebuilt from the ground up. The new building opened Sept. 4.

To serve more families, the Lighthouse Foundation hopes to build what the directors call "phase two" of Kaufman House on the South Side of Butler.

Arsenic levels near the property are being investigated by the state Department of Environmental Protection, and representatives have kept the Lighthouse Foundation updated.

"As of right now, we have not been given permission to build five additional town homes on the property, which was our plan for this past summer," Carter said. "Once we get the DEP's report on the land, we will make a decision on how we will proceed."

Operations also were impacted by the 101-day long state budget stalemate, which ended Oct. 9.

"Since we rely heavily on state and federal funding in many of our programs, we were able to barely survive on community gifts and donations until our funding came through," Carter said. "Now that the budget has passed, we are able to use community and individual gifts to operate programs where our budget is tighter."

No matter what issues arise, Osterrieder said he is grateful for the program and hopes other people can be helped by the Lighthouse Foundation.

"I think God has blessed me with this place," he said. "I'm trying not to look back, I'm looking forward now."