Pontiac, MI. - Oct. 17, 2022 - Lighthouse,
a Pontiac-based nonprofit building equitable communities that alleviate
poverty, is pleased to announce a partnership with Genisys Credit Union
to renovate and restore a commercial kitchen at Lighthouse’s headquarters,
located at 46156 Woodward Avenue in Pontiac.
The kitchen, which has not been used in more than a decade, will be brought up
to code with a new layout and new appliances to provide meals for emergency
shelter residents. Since Lighthouse does not currently have a commercial
kitchen, all meals for the shelter are being brought in or cooked off site at
other commercial kitchens.
An open house to showcase renovation plans will take place Wednesday,
October 19 from 8 – 10:30 a.m. at the Lighthouse Community Room (Door C), 46156
Woodward Avenue in Pontiac. Speakers from Lighthouse and Genisys Credit
Union will be on hand to talk about next steps and the importance of this
project.
"With the drive and passion to do so, Lighthouse is making fundamental
change possible in our communities through their commitment to partnership and
advocacy," said Jackie Buchanan, President and CEO of Genisys Credit
Union. "Standing alongside them, we share in their mission of eliminating
homelessness in our communities with projects like the commercial kitchen and
we are grateful to offer support to move their mission forward."
Genisys Credit Union provided an initial $60,000 gift to support the kitchen
project. They have since raised additional funds with their employees and are
working to raise another $25,000 to purchase appliances, food, and other
equipment needed for the kitchen.
This latest project is an extension of Genisys Credit Union’s ongoing support
and partnership with Lighthouse. Over the last three years, the credit union
has donated $164,000 to Lighthouse including financial support for its
Thanksgiving program which distributes turkeys to more than 2,000 households
annually, sponsorships, and more.
Genisys employees have also rolled up their sleeves and put in more than 140
hours volunteering to pack and deliver food and renovate a smaller kitchen at
Lighthouse’s new Family Emergency Shelter. In addition, Genisys has engaged its
partners to give financially, including acting as a catalyst for the Michigan
Credit Union League to support Lighthouse through their annual golf outing.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the need for emergency food and shelter in
our community has skyrocketed and that need always escalates during the holiday
season and the cold winter months,” said Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz. “Having
committed partners like Genisys Credit Union is what it will take to alleviate
homelessness and tackle this massive problem in our community – we cannot do it
alone. Restoring our commercial kitchen so groups and congregation volunteers
can prepare meals for our shelter guests, and even teach cooking classes, will
enable us to better serve the community. We are truly grateful to the dedicated
team at Genisys Credit Union for providing the support needed to make it
happen.”
A timeline and other details for the commercial kitchen project are still being
finalized. Anyone who would like to contribute to the renovation effort can do
so at: https://my.lighthousemi.org/lighthouse-open-house/Donate
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About Lighthouse
Headquartered in Pontiac, Lighthouse was established in 2019 when Lighthouse of
Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter merged, bringing together more than 75
years of experience serving impoverished metro Detroiters. The new Lighthouse
endeavors to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty in partnership
with and in service to individuals, families, and organizations. Lighthouse
offers a broad range of services to help those in need including an emergency
shelter and family shelter, an emergency food warehouse serving 5,000+ people
per week, affordable housing development projects, housing assistance programs,
supportive services, follow up care, and more. To learn more, visit: https://lighthousemi.org.
About Genisys Credit Union
Genisys Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution
that has been committed to helping its members financially since 1936. Based
out of Auburn Hills, MI, the credit union is the fourth largest in Michigan
with over 260,000 members and 33 branch locations. With a highly competitive
suite of products such as High Yield Genius Checking and Youth Savings Account as
well as loans for small to mid-sized businesses, Genisys specializes in
providing consumer and business financial solutions through its branches, a
multi-channel contact center, and a variety of mobile and online banking
services. Genisys has consistently received the highest 5-star Bauer Financial
Rating for safety and soundness and has been the proud recipient of the Crystal
Performance Award by Raddon, a Fiserv Company. Raddon evaluates credit unions
based on performance metrics across service, member relationships, sales, and
other areas. They are also proud to be committed to their communities by
annually volunteering over 3,000 hours and partnering on over 1,000 community
events. Connect with Genisys on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok by following
@genisyscu. For more information visit www.genisyscu.org
