OKEECHOBEE — Despite her hopes and wishes, Donna Dean was not able to open Lighthouse Refuge in 2023. The home, intended as a rehab for homeless and abused women was gifted to Lighthouse Refuge by the county several years ago.
The Deans, Donna and Larry, have been diligently working toward getting it fixed up and ready to open, but have hit stumbling block after stumbling block.
“It’s in His timing,” said Donna. “I wanted it to be this year, but it is not in my timing.”
Though she trusts God’s timing, Donna expressed concern that the public does not understand what is happening. “I don’t think they realize that we can’t open until we have enough money coming in every month to support it.” Larry explained they must have a minimum of $2,500 each month so they can pay the bills — electric, water, insurance, etc. They have had a few people pledge to give every month but not enough to support opening the house yet.
“We will just continue to trust God to provide,” said Donna.
Lighthouse Refuge Inc. has been a part of Okeechobee for the past 20 years, offering programs to counsel women with emotional issues as well as educational skills, programs related to computer skills, homemaking skills, college courses, job training and money management. Dean said the only real requirements are that the person seeking help must be a woman and must want to be helped. They are not all victims of abuse, and they are not all homeless. The thing they all have in common is they need someone to offer them a helping hand, and that is what God called her to do, she explained.
Using God’s Word, the refuge seeks to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the homeless, abused and brokenhearted women God places in their path.
The plan for the new home is for it to be a rehabilitation home for homeless and/ or abused women. It is not meant to be an emergency shelter but more of a long-term rehabilitative home where the women will stay for three months to a year. Prior to their move to a senior park, the Deans took women into their own home to help them, but they are not allowed to do this where they are now located. This is why the rehab home is so needed, she explained.
As an additional fundraiser, they are selling bricks for their walkway. There are two different size bricks. One is 4x8 for $100 donation and one is 8x8 for $225. “You can put anything you want on it,” she said. “In memory of somebody, whatever they want on it, they can put on it.” You can even order a donor brick with felt backing to keep for yourself: A 4x8 is $35 and an 8x8 is $40.
Dean can also be heard on WOKC on the second Thursday of every month at 8:30 a.m., where she talks about some of the things going on with the refuge.
