Lighthouse Ministries offers homeless shelters in Warren County as a way to help men and women leave the streets and rebuild their lives.
An upcoming concert at Park Theater will fund the effort to establish the women’s shelter, says Lighthouse Ministries organizer Nathan Smith.
“We are struggling to get everything done and be able to help support more women,” Smith said. “Lisa Patton organized the concert and got hold of the artist. We had a big donation and we were able to buy the house, but more is needed. It takes money to pay the bills like water, electric, gas.”
Approximately two years ago, the ministry opened a women’s shelter in a donated house near the Warren County line in Centertown. Recently, a new home has been purchased closer to town that is more convenient.
Over a decade ago, the ministry opened its first shelter in what was formerly the Warren County Humane Society building near the fairgrounds. After remodeling, the building now serves as a homeless shelter for men with a kitchen, living room, and several bedrooms.
Lighthouse Ministries offers a hand up for homeless individuals. There are rules. Lighthouse Ministries has a no-drugs, no-alcohol policy. It offers life counseling classes to help residents secure employment and teach them about saving money so they can work toward getting transportation and a different place to live.
Mike Farris understands what it feels like to be down and out.
“I was already a drug addict and alcoholic when I was 15. I was running cocaine over the state lines from Huntsville, Ala. In and out of jail already, I was just a broken boy trying to find his way,” Farris said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
While homeless living in a park in Knoxville, Farris said he turned to God for guidance and ended up moving in with his father in Nashville. He launched a gospel music career in 2002 after making a name for himself as the lead singer of the “Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies” in the 1990s.
Today, Farris is clean, sober and entirely committed to elevating his brothers and sisters through powerhouse live performances.
Enjoy an evening with Farris on Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. and support a worthy cause. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketleap.com or locally at Park Theater, Warren County Chamber of Commerce, and Warren Arts. Tickets: Premium $25 (first eight rows), preferred $20 (row nine and up on lower level), and $15 balcony.
