Monroe County, Michigan

Recovery starts with a safe place to stand — and a skill to build on.

Rising Light Foundation provides recovery housing, hands-on skilled trades training and peer recovery support for adults rebuilding their lives after exiting a treatment program or leaving incarceration.

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About Us

Everybody deserves a foundation strong enough to build a life on. It takes a place to stand.

Too many people leave treatment or incarceration with nowhere stable to go — and without stability, everything else falls apart. Rising Light Foundation was built on a simple belief: give someone a safe home and a real skill, and you give them a foundation strong enough to build a life on.

"Every person who walks through our door is met with respect, not judgment — because recovery isn't a program you complete, it's a life you rebuild."

We're led by people with lived experience in recovery and hands-on skilled trades — so the support we offer isn't theoretical. It's earned.

At a Glance

Based in Monroe, Michigan — serving Monroe County and Southeast Michigan
Recovery housing paired with real, paid job training
Peer support from people who've walked the same road
Led by a Certified Peer Support Specialist in training
Built for adults rebuilding after addiction or incarceration

Who We're Here For

Rising Light Foundation exists for people ready to rebuild

Our doors are open to adults across Monroe County facing any of the following:

In recovery from a substance abuse disorder
Reentering the community after impatient therapy and incarceration
Experiencing homelessness, connected through our community outreach efforts
Seeking peer recovery support services

Community Outreach Program

The Need

Homelessness is a growing crisis in Monroe County
Rising Light Foundation is expanding efforts to address it directly
Community outreach is the first step toward lasting recovery
We are working to connect people with resources, shelter, and support

*This image is AI-generated to protect the privacy of individuals in our community outreach program.

"I believe recovery doesn't start with a program — it starts with a door that locks, a bed that's yours, and a morning where you don't have to wonder where you'll sleep tonight. That's what we're building, one person at a time."
— Jonathan Roberts, Founder

Our Model

How a distressed house becomes a fresh start

Our approach connects safe housing directly to job skills — participants don't just live somewhere while they wait for life to change. They help build the change.

We acquire a distressed property

Rising Light Foundation purchases homes in need of repair in and around Monroe County, often through foreclosure or acquisition programs available to nonprofits.

The home is rehabbed and made livable

The property is brought up to a safe, livable standard so a participant can move in — training begins on the next property, not the one someone is living in.

A participant moves in, stable and supported

Housing comes with structure: peer support check-ins, accountability, and connection to recovery and mental health resources.

They train by rehabbing the next home

Once settled, participants learn real skilled-trades work by helping restore the next property — building a resume and a trade, not just waiting out a program.

Programs

Four pillars, one foundation

Every part of our work supports the same goal: a stable, sustainable path forward to a brighter future.

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Recovery Housing

Safe and stable housing for adults in recovery from addiction or reentering life after incarceration — a real home, not a waiting room.

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Skilled Trades Training

Hands-on training in construction and remodeling, taught by people with real experience in the field — building a trade participants can carry for life.

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Peer Recovery Support

One-on-one support from people who've lived it — regular check-ins, accountability, and connection to community resources.

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Community Accessibility Builds

Program participants apply their trades training to build and install wheelchair ramps and accessible sidewalks for community members who need them. Making necessary repair in homes of low income families to stay code compliant. Creating a safe and healthy envirnment for a stable life. Turning skill-building into a direct, visible act of service.

Get Involved

There's a place for you in this, too

Rising Light Foundation runs on community — time, skills, and support from people who believe in second chances.

Volunteer

Lend a hand on a rehab project, share a trade skill, or support a program day. Volunteers are always welcome, no experience required.

Volunteer With Us

Give

If you're in a position to support our work, every gift helps move a home — and a life — forward. We're happy to talk through what giving looks like, at any level.

Ask About Giving

Partner

We work with local organizations, employers, and agencies who want to support recovery housing and workforce development in Monroe County.

Start a Conversation

You are not defined by your past here.