The Lighthouse Program Wish List

The Lighthouse residential program for women and children is in need of the following items:

1. Pampers, Pampers, Pampers
2. Wagons
3. Photo frames and albums for children's pictures
4. Exercise DVD's for moms
5. Sheets, comforters, and pillows for twin beds/blankets --some for adults, some for kids
6. Yard work supplies for gardening/landscaping (little garden tools, shovel, weed wacker)
7. Single strollers
8. Clothes for children of all ages
9. Clothes for women: robes, panties, bras and socks, pajama's
10. Tupperware, pots/pans, dishes, cups
11. Jump drives to store computer work like resumes, meeting schedules
12. School supplies
13. Birthday or holiday presents and party supplies
14. Clock radios
15. Haircut gift certificates
16. For our re-entry house for women nearing completion of treatment and transitioning to their own housing: Furniture, sheets, comforters, artwork, towels. You can adopt and decorate a room in this 4 bedroom house.

If you have items to donate, please call (302) 424-8080 or e-mail us at contactbci[at]brandywinecounseling[dot]org. Thank you!

It's Playtime! Thanks to You, Our Kids Have A Playground

We did it!!! Seven months ago, BCI appealed to you to help us build a playground at The Lighthouse Program. Today we have surpassed our goal of $17,000. To everyone who contributed, we appreciate it so much!

Take a look… the playground is here! And it's great that we've gone over our goal because now we can make it even better with benches, a sandbox, and toys.

We want to say a special thanks for a grant that put us over the top, from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Bank of America’s Local Grants support community organizations helping make their neighborhoods better places to live, in areas including affordable housing, arts councils, and children’s advocacy groups. The foundation awarded over $11 million to organizations in the Wilmington community in 2006.

Building this playground is a big deal – it’s not just about giving the kids a place to play. It’s about creating a cheerful, home-like environment for kids displaced from the comfort of their own home. It’s about giving them an outlet for relaxation and releasing stress while their moms work on their recovery. It’s about family bonding for families who need it.

Soon, we will announce a special event to honor all the donors and volunteers who have supported The Lighthouse Program. On behalf of our moms and kids, thank you again for your generous support. Celebration time!!!

Denise Kitson Receives Guardian Angel Award

Brandywine Counseling congratulates Denise Kitson, Program Director of The Lighthouse Program, on receiving the Guardian Angel Award at the Delaware HIV Consortium's 2008 WOW Awards Gala.

Pictured at right, Denise receives her award from Peter Houle, Executive Director of the HIV Consortium. Arlene Bincsik, President of the HIV Consortium Board of Directors and head of the Christiana Care HIV Program, gave the following speech:

"It is said that a guardian angel sits on your shoulder and protects you and comforts you in times of need. This year’s Guardian Angel Awardee is Denise Kitson of Brandywine Counseling and the new director of The Lighthouse Program in Sussex County.

"Whether it is feeding the hungry, supplying clients with street kits of tooth brushes, soap and other necessities, helping them access healthcare, finding shelter, HIV testing or entering rehab, Denise has always gone above and beyond the call of duty to help her clients and the marginalized populations.

"When others said no, Denise has always said 'How can I help you, help yourself?' She is a program manager, a case manager, a counselor, a confidant, a shoulder to lean on, an ear that listens, a compassionate volunteer all rolled up in one incredible woman. But most of all…she has been a Guardian Angel to hundreds of people when no one else cared! She strives to empower clients rather than enable them. The Delaware HIV Consortium proudly bestows the Guardian Angel Award to Denise Kitson. Congratulations!”

5 Questions for Susan Hammond, Counselor/Case Manager

5 Questions is our ongoing feature where we introduce you to the people who make Brandywine Counseling run, spotlighting a different staff member every two weeks.

Name: Susan Hammond
Job: Counselor/Case Manager, Lighthouse Program
Time with BCI: 5 years

1. The Lighthouse Program was started to fill a need that wasn’t being met in Delaware. Where would these women and children be right now, without this program?

My job with Brandywine used to be the DFS [Division of Family Services] Liaison. I saw women who had either lost their children, or they were close to losing their children because of addiction being in their lives. And there was nowhere that I could help them go. I’ve seen moms come in with kids that they really didn’t know that much. Maybe it was babies, maybe it was kids that stayed in daycare a whole lot, or stayed with other relatives.

But now that we have The Lighthouse, the mothers can choose to come here, receive their addiction treatment, and bring their children with them. So there’s no need to stick kids in foster care. There’s no need to separate mothers from young children. And it’s kind of neat.

2. What kinds of things do you help the women with?
I do a lot of case management during the individual sessions. Most of the time, by the time women hit treatment, their problems are kind of multiplied. I have some clients who don’t have their driver’s license, they have never received any job training, some of them needed eyeglasses. So my job is to refer them for services, and there are agencies that provide help with some of that stuff.

Most of the women work with Vocational Rehabilitation. Some of them have sought out help with passing their GED. Some of them are looking at classes at Del Tech. Some of them are getting to the level here at Lighthouse where they can find some employment, so some are actually seeking employment now. And it’s good to watch them grow, and to see them becoming responsible, productive members of society.

I just finished an Education Group on maturity, about measuring their own maturity. This morning we had a Concern Group. Usually we have process groups, we have other education groups. There’s parenting people who come in here a couple times a week. There’s all kinds of different groups! There’s Computer Group, Sewing Group, all kinds of different groups.

3. One of the most difficult things the women must do is learn to change long-held behaviors and attitudes associated with their addiction. How do you help them do this?
This is a modified “T.C.,” therapeutic community. In a therapeutic community, ultimately it’s the people in it who run it. In a modified therapeutic community, it’s a little bit different, we still have staff overseeing the women running the program.

Usually, women notice behavior of other women. And if it bothers them, most of the time it’s something within themselves. Maybe it’s a behavior that they find themselves doing sometimes. Or maybe it was a behavior that they used to do that caused damage. Usually there’s some reaction to it. But it’s up to them to use the tool of the therapeutic community, and call these women on their issues. If a resident would see another resident acting out in some way, it’s up to them to bring it to Concern Group, because here, I think they say, “I am my sister’s keeper.” And that’s because those who know the people well are the ones who can see their behaviors.

4. What advice do you have for someone who would like to do the job you do?
Go back to school. It’s never too late. I was doing a job that I really didn’t want to do anymore. And that was painting houses, and hanging off the ladder, and scraping paint, having it in my eyes and my mouth and my nose. And I was no longer physically able to do that work. I went back to school - this was after I got clean, of course - and I got a degree, and I came to work. I worked several jobs before I came to work for Brandywine, but I’m glad I’m here. I’ve known Shay [Lipshitz] for a long time, and when I heard that Brandywine was going to open in Georgetown, I said, “Oh, I want to work for you!”

As a recovering addict, I hope to soon be celebrating 19 years clean on July 27. It takes a lot more than I thought it did, but it’s really rewarding work. I can go home at night and lay my head on the pillow, and fall fast asleep, knowing that I’ve done the best I can do at any given time.

5. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI, what would you do with it?
Make Lighthouse bigger. Buy the parcel of land over there next door, or maybe that one back there, or that one there, because I think we need to be bigger than ten moms.

It's A Girl!

Our Lighthouse family has grown by one! One of our moms delivered a healthy baby girl early today.

Director Shay Lipshitz, always one to go the extra mile for her clients, was on hand to lend her support.

Mom and daughter are both doing well. Congratulations!

Another Gift Toward the Playground

We are happy to announce another major gift toward the Lighthouse playground - the Welfare Foundation has awarded us $3,000. Thank you! We are closer than ever to our goal - I think we will get this playground built this summer!

The Welfare Foundation is a local, private, charitable foundation established in 1930 to support local charitable, educational and scientific organizations. Fields of Interest include Arts, Environment, Education, Hospitals, Social and Human Services, Community Development, and Government/Public Administration. The foundation distributes approximately $5 million annually to various charities.

Donate by mail
Donate online

The Art Group's Lighthouse Donations Box

This is Daniel Norvell, I'm a Counselor at ALPHA and I run the Art Group. The Art Group ALPHA Program has created a donation box for The Light House Women's and Children's Program for raising funds for a Playground for the residents children which is located at the right hand corner of the front desk coming into the BCI/ALPHA Wilmington site. 15 individuals participated in the project over a five week period. The donation box includes a sled ( for the money to roll into the box) and a merry –go -round that moves, a swing set that swings and a see saw that moves up and down with carefully crafted paper dolls and a sandbox. On each side of the box is a collage for each panel of the box reflecting the joys of playfulness and imagination of childhood. The Art Group came up with the idea based on the concept of a miniature playground as a group challenge taking available Art materials to create the miniature play ground. Each person discussed the joys of having a play ground when they were small, being a a child and rekindling positive past memories and creating positive memories and futures for the children of the The Light House Women’s and Children’s Program.

Playground Update: Longwood Foundation Makes a Gift

BCI has received another major contribution toward the Lighthouse playground. The Longwood Foundation has awarded us a grant of $3000 toward this project. This is wonderful news!

The Longwood Foundation is one of the nation’s largest private foundations, and among the top Delaware foundations by total giving. Fields of Interest include Arts, Culture, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health and Human Services, Youth Services, and Hospitals. The foundation distributes over $35 million annually to various charities, primarily in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

We've sought the support of foundations while we also appeal to you in the community. Though the playground itself costs $10,000, the total costs will be higher when we include installation, play mulch, and landscape fabric. So we still need to hear from you! Our goal remains at $10,000 from our supporters in the community, and if we can get there, foundation grants will cover the remaining costs. Just over $2500 to go – this blog is up to more than 250 visitors a month, so if we all gave just $10, we would reach our goal!

Donate by mail
Donate through JustGive

Community Shows Their Generosity to The Lighthouse Program

We at BCI continue to see a wonderful response from people in the community who want to help out the Lighthouse Program by donating time or items. Thank you to all of you!

Several volunteers are teaching classes for the women, including crocheting, card making, and computers by Eul Lee, sewing and ceramics by Ann Morrow, and Life Skills and early recovery by Nancy Bloom. Their help has been incredible and the women LOVE the classes - thanks ladies!

We want to thank everyone who has donated toys, clothing, a huge train set, five sewing machines for the sewing class, and handmade quilts for babies. We also received a care package from Bear Hugs for Babies, a local charity that specializes in providing baby supplies to families in Lower Delaware affected by extreme poverty, homelessness, and/or disease. This is a great organization - please check out their website to learn more.

What do we still need for our 8 women and 9 children? Pampers. Lots of Pampers! I believe there's still a need for strollers, bicycles, tricycles, and wagons. If you have items or services to donate, please call 302-484-8080 or send us an email. All donations are tax-deductible. Thank you, donors and volunteers, for being such an important part of our women's and children's recovery.

A Sketch of Our Playground

We've picked out the playground we want to build at the Lighthouse Program - here's a sketch! There will be three different slides, climbing equipment, a critter puzzle, and a sandbox (not pictured). Those will be some lucky kids.

We are less than $3000 away from breaking ground, so if you haven’t contributed yet, there’s no better time. Donate today and help give our families a place to play, relax, and bond.

Playground Update: Donors Large and Small Show Their Support

BCI has taken a big step toward our goal of building a playground at the Lighthouse Program, thanks to a major gift from the Miriam and Robert Zadek Charitable Gift Fund as well as all the smaller contributions that have come in. We are almost three-quarters of the way to our $10,000 goal!

Now that the weather's getting warm, it would be great to get the construction started and give the kids a place to play outside. We've met with playground salesmen and had some plans designed. But we need to reach our goal before we can get underway. You can help make it happen!

If you would like to donate, you can send a check using our mail-in form, or give online through JustGive or American Express. No gift is too small, because the more dollars we raise, the better the playground. Thank you!

Faith and Recovery Strike a Match to Start The Lighthouse Program

Shay Lipshitz and Bishop Major Foster are an unlikely team. She is a strong-willed, outspoken, Jewish native of the Bronx, who overcame drug addiction to become a treatment program supervisor. He is an affable, modest Pentecostal preacher in rural Ellendale, Delaware, whose faith has moved him to nearly three decades of service to the underprivileged.

But after a chance meeting two years ago, they formed a partnership. The result was The Lighthouse Program for women and children, now open as a joint venture of Brandywine Counseling, Inc. (BCI), where Shay is Director of Sussex County Services, and Delmarva Clergy United in Social Action (DCUSA), where Bishop Foster is President.

The two found common ground in their passion for helping others in need. Both are quick to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to get a job done. Shay first met the Bishop and his staff at Philadelphia Pentecostal Holiness Church when she was looking for temporary housing for her clients at BCI’s Georgetown Center. DCUSA, the non-profit arm of the church, had been running a shelter home for over twenty years, along with child care, computer classes, and a GED program, and were looking to expand their services.

“The great thing is, when we got here, they already had plans on the wall,” Shay recalls. “They had blueprints. They already had a vision. They already wanted to do something.” So when state funding became available to start a residential treatment program, the pieces quickly fell into place.

“It fit like a glove,” says Bishop Foster. “They needed the place, and we had programs that they needed, so everything fit. We didn’t have counseling, we didn’t have the money we needed, so those two pieces made it a fit. It made it come together.”

That compatibility was evident in the plan they proposed to the State of Delaware, and they were awarded the funding. The next four months were a whirlwind of work to get up and running. The aging DCUSA shelter home was extensively renovated and expanded, transforming it into a modern and inviting residence. Staff were hired. More partners were brought on board, including La Red Health Center. On December 10, 2007, the program opened its doors, and within weeks, six women and seven children were living there.

“Those families would have been shattered,” without a place like this to go, says Shay. Many of the women delivered their babies while incarcerated on drug charges. “They would have been separated. And we know that all bonding occurs in those beginning months. They might have lost their kids to foster care or permanent adoption.”

“We knew that locking them up and putting them in jail wasn’t the solution,” adds the Bishop. “They needed some treatment and love which the prison couldn’t give.”

Up to 15 women and 20 children per year from throughout the state of Delaware will now get that treatment at The Lighthouse Program. The mothers will get help for their addiction, trauma, and mental illness, while taking classes in life skills, computers, and parenting. Children will get assessments, counseling, health care, and a safe space to learn, grow, and heal. The program uses evidence-based practices, or models that are scientifically proven to produce successful outcomes. Shay explains, “Here, they get to practice how they’re living. We’re able to mirror back to people when their behavior is inappropriate. In traditional outpatient treatment, you go into an office, its over in an hour, and you go home. Here, you’re practicing all those things with your community.”

It is all designed to bring about some intensive behavior change in a short time of 9 to 12 months. The program has different levels, each with its own responsibilities and privileges. There are structured activities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At first, residents have limited contact outside the program so they can concentrate on their recovery. It may be up to six months before they may go out unsupervised. Before discharge, a transition plan ensures a return to the community with the strongest possible opportunity for continued recovery.

But as much as the program incorporates the science of addiction treatment, it also incorporates faith. Though their religious beliefs are different, Shay and Bishop Foster have passed on a strong sense of spirituality to the women of The Lighthouse. “We’re puttin’ a little God in ‘em!” says the Bishop with pride. “It’s a bad world out there, but they got God helping them.” Spirituality has a correlation with the 12 Steps of recovery, adds Shay. “The word God can scare people, and we tell people in the beginning, think of that as ‘Good Orderly Direction.’ You’ve been misdirected, you’re going all over the place. You need to rely on something else, something greater than you.”

On February 21, The Lighthouse Program was dedicated by Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Several of the residents spoke about how much the program meant to them. “This program has given me a second chance with my family,” said Sarah. “This program has helped me become a better woman and a better mother to my children.” Sherry expressed thanks for the opportunity to work on recovery while keeping her son. “When we’re here, we get to grow together. It’s very open, very loving. Everyone here is just here for us all the time.”

After the ceremony, Bishop Foster and Shay Lipshitz reflected on what they had achieved. “Words can’t express how we feel,” the Bishop said. “Because the fact is, we’ve done something that God wanted us to do, to help people. And when you do that, that’s the joy you feel inside, because you’ve just made somebody’s life happier.” Shay agreed. “It’s been exciting to see a dream, that was something that was thought about a few years ago, actually come to fruition, and today we gave birth to it, so it’s pretty exciting.”

“She’s the one that did it, I didn’t do nothin’, I was just here waiting for her to get here!” Bishop Foster laughed.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Shay replied. “He was on the backhoe! He raised up that building! I’ve never seen anybody work as much, and be a worker among workers. He’s been a real example to me. Something needs to be done, all you have to do is call the Bishop, and he’s on it.”

What they do agree on is that this partnership of a non-profit and a faith community was meant to be, and this is only the start of the good they can do. “We had a combined interest. They’ve been caring about people longer than I’ve been around in the field,” says Shay. “It’s just nice that we had matched missions and goals and worked together. There’s a wonderful church family here. They’ve been very supportive of our collaboration, and we’re excited.”

The Bishop believes higher forces brought them together. “We believe that it’s something that God did, because of the fact that I was missing something, and didn’t know what I was missing. When Brandywine told me, ‘Okay, let’s partnership together,’ hey, we didn’t know how it was going to work. But now, we can see, it fits. It fits.”


The Lighthouse services are funded by and are part of the system of public services offered by Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. For more information about The Lighthouse Program, please contact Denise Kitson at 302-424-8080.

Playground Update: One-Third of the Way To Our Goal!

A children's playground at The Lighthouse Program is one-third of the way to becoming a reality, thanks to your generous contributions! We have raised a total of $3,337 in three short months!

If you would like to donate, you can send a check using our mail-in form, or give online through JustGive or American Express. Another simple way you can help is to click the envelope icon at the end of this post and email this to five friends.

The playground will give kids who are temporarily displaced from the comfort of their own home a safe place to relax, release stress, laugh, and play. And happy kids means happy moms while they work on their recovery.

The Lighthouse Program means a great deal to the women living there. Sarah says, “This program has given me a second chance with my family. This program has helped me become a better woman and a better mother to my children.” Sherry calls the program a great opportunity to work on recovery while keeping her children. “When we’re here, we get to grow together. It’s very open, very loving, everyone here is just here for us all the time.”

With your donation today, you can be a part of these women's recovery.

The Lighthouse Dedication by Governor Minner

It was a great honor to have Governor Ruth Ann Minner dedicate The Lighthouse Program on February 21. Our work would not be possible without her support. The following are her complete remarks at the Open House.

"Good morning. Thank you for coming out on a cold nasty morning when we see all that snow out there on the ground. I wish I could tell you it was going to be real nice weather, but look out tomorrow! Another day where we’re going to get snow, and they’re saying 3-4 inches, so get ready this afternoon so you won’t have problems tomorrow and having to go out in that snow. I have a feeling it’s going to be probably be our worst storm of the winter. So at least we know when we get it over, spring’s coming, it makes a difference.

“Thank you for inviting me to be here. Renata’s right, I have enjoyed very much interacting with the agency and what they do in the community, because it makes a difference. I can only say to you that every one of us, at one time in our life, has a time that we’re down, whether it’s just because of the death of a loved one, or some huge problem that I wouldn’t even comprehend to know what to tell you what to do. But we have that time we’re down. And I think Renata Henry is one of those people who always has the broadest smile. It sort of makes you feel better just to see her. And so I know that people in the community have that same exposure to her, and it is the same pleasure in knowing how deeply she cares. There is not a more compassionate person in our state than Renata Henry. We are fortunate to have her at the state facility.

“I remember some of the things that we’ve talked about over the years, and her saying to me, ‘We really need to do more, we really need to do more.’ And I’ve had to say exactly what a lot of you say every day, when it comes to, what can you do: ‘Do you have any more money?’ And so when it came to the point where they explained to me how they could just do some different things, and use money in different ways, I said, ‘Go do it. That’s fine with me.’ And so, they have made a lot of changes within the department that mean so much to our community. And that’s what government is all about. It isn’t about our jobs or what we do. It’s about what we do for the community, the impact that it has on those of you here. And boy, what an impact they have in our community, there is no question.

“Brandywine Counseling has made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many people. There is no way that we could simply stand here and say thank you to them, and it would mean enough. Because the lives they touch, touch other lives in the community. It’s not just the mother, it’s the mother and the children. They said it right, it affects a whole family. But it isn’t just a family, it’s a community, it’s your neighbor, it’s the people you work with. What they have done in this state is something we could never say enough thank yous for. They’ve been doing it a long time. Twenty years, that I know of. If you look at the people that they have touched, they have changed their lives. And see how much they have changed after they’ve gone through one of the programs and worked with some of the counselors. There’s no way that the state could have done that without the volunteer hours they give, as well as their daytime jobs. Because they give those hours if it’s 1:00 in the morning or if it’s 4:00 in the morning, and they know that one of their friends is in trouble. And I haven’t ever heard them call the people they work with their ‘clients.’ You’re not ‘patients,’ you’re not ‘those people who have trouble,’ you’re their friends. And they want to make sure you reach your goal, and that’s why they’re there working with you.

“Substance abuse is a powerful disease, and it can ruin lives, there is no question. But Brandywine Counseling saves those lives. It helps those people to achieve, to regain their self respect. Each one of us in our own way is very important to this state, and that self respect means a great deal. Think about it. It’s difficult. I know how difficult it is for some people to break that cycle. But they, working with you, cheering you on, making sure that you have the advantage of working with them, whatever hours of day or night, it makes a difference. The counselors are trained. They do their job well. Many of us can have all the compassion in the world, but we don’t know how to achieve what needs to be done and what needs to be said. And I say ‘done’ and ‘said’ because it isn’t always something clear.

“I had a gentleman one time, who told me that he was having problems, and he said, ‘You know, my neighbor just came and sat with me. Didn’t talk to me, just sat with me. I just knew there was someone who cared because he was there.’ But when I think of this church, that’s what I think of, the people who are always there, and continue working together. I know we will achieve great things. Bishop Foster has done an outstanding job in this community, and Brandywine Counseling will do even more. So we’ll look forward to their continuing at helping people to get themselves back on the right track. You never know what they might achieve.

“I always tell the story of a young man that I met when I was with the Board of Pardons, and he came before us to get a pardon. He had been in jail and just gotten out. And I said to him, ‘Well, now that you’re out, you’ve got your troubles behind you, what do you intend to do?’ And he said, ‘I want to become a lawyer. I was a good student. I want to become a lawyer, and I want to help - legally help - those people who can’t afford it, to pay for a lawyer.’ That young man is working in our public defender’s office today. He helps people who cannot. I feel good about that. The people who work for Brandywine Counseling must feel good about that a hundred times a day, and they help all of you who need it.

“Not everyone could do that. I don’t think I could do what they do, I would be depressed after about the sixth or seventh one I had to work for. But they’ve always got a smile. They’re always out there. They’re always ready. And let me tell any one of you who is in one of their programs, or thinking about going into one of their programs, they’ll be there. Anytime that you need them, just give them a call. It is amazing how much they can do to make you understand what your problem is. They don’t tell you, they help you understand what your problem is, and achieve your goal of changing your life. I know that every one of them goes home from work every day feeling good about themselves, and well they should. Our state, our country, in fact, our world is a better place because they’re there, because they reach out and help. Lives are changed. People are different, and they move forward with their lives as well.

“Congratulations on the opening of the new facility. Congratulations on the achievement that you have. And I’m sure that, this close to Reverend Foster, you’re going to have all the support you need, and a heck of a lot of prayer going on to make sure that you succeed. It makes a difference. Thank you to all of you, and congratulations.”

Video of The Lighthouse Opening

Two excellent pieces on the program:

WHYY Delaware Tonight: Residential Treatment

WBOC: Unique Program Helps Women Keep Clean and Keep Kids

Also, our photo gallery is now up. So please enjoy while we're stuck inside during this winter storm!

The Lighthouse Program Open House

Today we celebrated a very special event for Delaware, the opening of the first women's and children's residential treatment program. This morning's ceremony was wonderful. We'd like to say thanks to Governor Minner, Renata Henry, Jack Kemp, and Bishop Major Foster and his staff from Philadelphia Pentecostal Church and Delmarva Clergy United in Social Action.

It was an honor to be in attendance for today’s event, and there will be future posts to come on that, but for now here’s a few pictures. I also had the opportunity to sit down for an extended conversation with Shay Lipshitz and Bishop Foster. They had much to say about how this whole program came together, but just to give you a taste, here are their thoughts on today's celebration:

Shay: “It’s been a wonderful day for Brandywine, a wonderful day for the church. It’s been exciting to see a dream, that was something that was thought about a few years ago, actually come to fruition, and today we gave birth to it, so it’s pretty exciting.”

Bishop Foster: “Words can’t express how we feel, because the fact is, we’ve done something that God wanted us to do, to help people. And when you do that, that’s the joy you feel inside, because you’ve just made somebody’s life happier. To me it’s without words, what Shay and Brandywine have come in here to help us do what God wants us to be doing. So it’s overwhelming, and it was nice today.”

More Lighthouse Pictures

Here are some pictures from inside The Lighthouse Program as we prepare to open our doors to the residents.The shower curtain is a nice touch, don't you think?

So, Shay, are you having fun yet?

Here's the program staff about to sit down for a meal.

The Playground Fund now stands at $2,567 - thank you!

Please Join Us for The Lighthouse Program Dedication on February 21

Please join Brandywine Counseling to celebrate
the Opening of
The Lighthouse Program
For women and children

Thursday, February 21st
10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Guest of Honor
Governor Ruth Ann Minner

13726 South Old State Road
Ellendale, DE 19941

Please RSVP by
February 15th to 302.424.8080 or
lighthousersvp [at] yahoo [dot] com

Refreshments will be served.
Parking available at the church.

Brandywine Counseling is a non-profit addiction treatment provider with over twenty years of experience in providing the steps necessary to help people with drug, alcohol and mental health problems to lead productive, meaningful lives. Brandywine Counseling is licensed by the State of Delaware and accredited by The Joint Commission. Our Lighthouse Program is funded by The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

The Lighthouse Program offers the participant substance abuse and mental health treatment in a modified therapeutic community. Many activities such as individual and group therapy, life skills, computer classes, GED, trauma work and evidence based parenting classes are provided. The children will spend time in the on-site licensed childcare center or in the school during the day while their mother participates in treatment. Case managers assist women with job placement and housing during final phases of care.

Thanks to You, We’re On Our Way to Our Playground Goal

Last month, BCI invited all of you who support our work to help us build a playground for the children at The Lighthouse Program. Many of you answered our call with generous donations! So far, you’ve helped us raise a total of $1,782.37, nearly 18% of our goal!

We still have a ways to go to make our goal of $10,000, so let’s keep the contributions coming in! We accept donations using a printable mail-in form, or online through JustGive or American Express. Also, we can use your help in spreading the word, so please email this post to anyone who you think can help.

The Lighthouse Program has been open for just over a month now. Four women and five children are presently admitted and receiving services. Two of the babies are under six weeks old. Last week I had a chance to visit the program and meet all the staff. They are all set up in their offices at DCUSA, ready to move into our building (pictured) in a few weeks once renovations are complete. They are a great group of people who are excited to be starting up these important services.

Very soon, we’ll be announcing an open house during the month of February, so stay tuned for the details and make plans to join us!

The Lighthouse Program Opens Its Doors

Delaware's first Women and Children's Residential Addiction Treatment Program, dubbed The Lighthouse Program, opened December 10 in time for the holidays. Two guests are prepared to move in by the end of the week, and referrals are now being accepted.

Women interested in receiving treatment can get an assessment at any of the Substance Use Treatment centers in Delaware. An assessment appointment can be set up over the telephone.

For more information on the program and how to apply, click here.

Lighting The Path Home: Help Us Build a Children’s Playground

Dear Friends,

Season’s Greetings from Brandywine Counseling!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the staff and those we serve, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best this Holiday Season and say thank you for your support!

In the spirit of giving that permeates the holiday season, won’t you consider a gift of a donation to Brandywine Counseling?

This year, we have a very special project you can help with. Soon we will celebrate the opening of a first-of-its-kind program for Delaware, The Lighthouse residential program for women with children. We hope to be able to build a first class playground for the children, but the price tag is over $10,000. We need your help.

For the first time, parenting women in need of long term residential treatment will have a place to go, and their children can come with them. The Lighthouse Program will help families entrenched in a drug using lifestyle learn a healthy way of life. The mothers will get help for their addiction, trauma, and mental illness, while taking classes in life skills, computers, and parenting. The children will have a safe space where they can learn, grow and heal, including on-site licensed day care, therapeutic interventions, education, and recreation. For these families, Brandywine will truly be lighting the path home.

As 2007 winds to a close, The Lighthouse Program is under construction in Ellendale. Families will soon move in and begin their new life. Imagine a child seeing their new home, with a bright, colorful playground. Your gift will make their eyes light up!

Your gift will help the mothers and children in so many ways. And, you could solve the dilemma of those “hard to buy for” people in your life with a monetary gift in their honor. The moral and financial support of friends like you has made a difference in our patients’ lives. Today, your year-end gift can help ensure these important services continue. You may use a printable form or donate online on our web site. All donations are tax-deductible.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the staff and especially those we serve, I wish you all the joys of the holiday season, and thank you in advance for your generosity.


Sincerely,

David A. Oppold, President
Board of Directors

The Lighthouse Wish List

Do you want to help out with the startup of The Lighthouse residential program for women and children? The Program Director passed along to me a list of items they need.

If you have items to donate, please contact Matt Friedman at (302) 472-0381 or email me at contact[at]brandywinecounseling[dot]org.

Plus, watch for an announcement in the coming months about how you can help with a special project for the children at the program.

Thanks!

Extreme Makeover, Shelter Home Edition

Renovations are now underway at the site of our new residential program. BCI is leasing a shelter home in Ellendale from our partners Delmarva Clergy United In Social Action (DCUSA). There is much work to be done but we expect it to be complete by November.

Residents will live here at the shelter. Their daily activities will take place across the street at the DCUSA main building, which includes classroom space, dining hall, computers, and daycare. The shelter has five studios capable of housing two adults each, as well as two bedroom apartments.

Here you can see the shelter as it was:














Turnstone Builders of Milton is doing the work for us. Here, they are replacing the roof.


Shay Lipshitz, Director of Sussex County Services, shows where a wall will be removed to create a sitting area.


Bishop Major Foster, President/CEO of DCUSA, on a tractor helping with the renovations.


Shay takes her turn on the tractor.


Shay, the Bishop, and foreman Matt Cleary review the plans for the renovations.


This is only the beginning – stay tuned for more pictures as we transform this shelter into a welcoming home environment for women and their children.

We have also decided to name the program The Lighthouse – what do you think?

BCI To Open Women’s Residential Program

Brandywine Counseling will be opening Delaware’s first Women and Children’s Residential Treatment Program. The program will be located in Ellendale and will serve up to 15 women and 20 children per year from throughout the state. Funding for the program was awarded by the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

This residential program will fill a critical treatment gap in the state by improving substance abuse treatment outcomes for mothers with co-occurring disorders. Women who were not able to engage in treatment because of their parenting responsibilities will now be able to bring their children with them to treatment.

The BCI Residential Program will provide a safe, therapeutic environment where women and their children will learn skills for healthy lifestyles. Integrated services will include substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, medical care, trauma services, GED services, employment readiness, parenting education, child care, and social activities. Children will receive assessments, developmental and therapeutic counseling, health care, health education, and prevention services.

The variable length of stay residential program is designed as a 9-12 month program. It will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offer therapeutic activities daily. We expect to begin accepting clients in November.

BCI is collaborating with a multidisciplinary provider network including Delmarva Clergy United in Social Action (DCUSA), and La Red Health Center. Together we have a strong presence in the community that will ensure community acceptance and support.

Brandywine Counseling is a non-profit addiction treatment provider with more than twenty years’ history of engaging chronic drug users, retaining them for successful outcomes in treatment, and referring them to aftercare. BCI is licensed by the State of Delaware and accredited by the Joint Commission. Our past experience serving women and their children, those with co-occurring disorders, and other challenging populations prepares us to meet the goals of this project and produce meaningful results. This program promises to have far reaching positive effects on Delaware’s women, infants, children, and families as well as on the child welfare system and health care system.

For more information, please contact Shay Lipshitz at 302-856-4700.

Live and Work At the Beach - BCI is now hiring for all positions in this new program. Visit our jobs page to learn more.