Our vision is to awaken the person with addictions to the possibility of becoming physically, emotionally, and spiritually transformed. Our goal for men and women is lifelong recovery and a new way of being in relationship with the world.
The staff here has a vested, personal interest to the work we do.
Did you know that over half of our dedicated employees are graduates of the Guiding Light addiction rehab and recovery program? To all of us, it is not just a day job. It is a calling and a commitment.
Brian Elve, Executive Director
616-451-0236
Brian Spyke, Director of Operations
616-451-0236
Daniel Irwin, Recovery Program Manager
616-451-0236
Mark Scheffler, Operations Associate
616-451-0236
Ops@GuidingLightWorks.org
Doug Pancy, Creative & Communications Manager
616-451-0236
Javier Aguilar, Facility Manager/Iron House
616-451-0236
Jalen Thomas, Intake Coordinator
616-881-4790 (cell)
Intake@GuidingLightWorks.org
Greg McAleenan, LightKeeper
616-451-0236
Scott Korhorn, Maintenance Associate
616-451-0236
Jacob Passerman, Case Manager/Outreach
616-451-0236
Melaina Smits, Administrative Coordinator
616-451-0236
Melaina@GuidingLightWorks.org
Michael Ryan, Case Manager
616-451-0236
Ryan Becksford, Case Manager
616-451-0236
Sam Snapp, Administrative Specialist
616-451-0236
Scott Davidson, Front Desk Associate
616-451-0236
Toni Mattson, Accounting Specialist
616-451-0236
Erin Ledy, Systems Analyst/Grant Writer
616-451-0236
These are our five guiding principles:
Christ-Centered: Guiding Light follows the teachings of Jesus Christ powered by the Spirit and supported in prayer.
Excellence: We courageously pursue excellence in our programs, leaders, and outcomes through learning, innovation, and personal and organizational collaboration.
Gratitude: We receive our blessings and challenges with the spirit and actions of gratitude to God and to others.
Integrity: We commit to high ethical and professional standards as good stewards of our entrusted time, talents, and treasures.
Justice: We uphold the human dignity of each person and further inclusiveness.
Guiding Light is about change—changing the course of each life to reflect God’s plan for health and happiness and spiritual peace. That is our calling and our passion. While historically Guiding Light has served predominantly men, we are taking up the call to expand the life-transforming addiction recovery services to the women of our community.
This ministry is showing such growth, unimagined just a few years ago. Iron House, The Job Post, and Guiding Light Recovery are yielding rich fruits for our men, the organization, and our community. From this growth and success, late 2022 we opened 2 sober living homes for women. These structured, supported homes are running at full capacity. We plan an intial pilot addiction treatment program for women to start early 2024.
We still do what we have always done – share Christ’s love by offering a hand to those at the end of their rope. Now, our local charity offers even more – real, sustainable recovery, supported with safe, affordable housing and employment that leads to full social re-engagement and personal restoration.
This Strategic Plan charts our course for the coming years. It includes our Mission, Vision, Goal Statements and Objectives, Guiding Principles and our Dashboard. As our partners, we hope you will look carefully at these vibrant plans to meet our God-given opportunities in the future.
Real change is hard work—whether that is in a life or an organization. It takes a vision and determined commitment; and it takes many hands. Nobody changes alone—that is true for our clients and it is true for an organization. You will see this clearly in this Strategic Plan. Thank you for being part of this amazing organization, fulfilling this wonderful mission that impacts lives deeply and permanently, for the Glory of God and the coming of God’s Kingdom.
Harvey Koning, Board Chair, Varnum Law
Elizabeth Bovard-Strong, Board Secretary, Builders Exchange of Michigan
Andy Odehnal, Board Treasurer, Welcome Home Remodeling
Paul Davies, Director, The Mediator Group LLC
Ed Postma, Director, Plan It Financial Group
Dawn Buursma, Director, Homestead Realty
Kyle Kunnen, Director, Mercantile Bank
Dee Dee Taylor, Director, Goodwill Industries
Steve Jandernoa, Director, 42 North Partners
Kate Morton, Director, WXMI Fox 17
Through Rescue, Recovery, and Re-Engagement, Guiding Light is committed to walking alongside individuals as they engage in the hard work of transformation, embrace their God-given dignity, and pursue the potential of their lives. We combine innovative programming with long-term relational investment to offer men and now women struggling with chronic addiction – and associated homelessness, unemployability, and isolation – a unique and successful solution.
Founded in 1929, right before the Great Depression hit, Guiding Light has seen many different eras in our community. One thing that remains the same is Guiding Light’s commitment to serve those experiencing poverty, addiction, and cycles of broken relationships. Based in the Heartside neighborhood, with affordable sober-living apartments in Kentwood as a next option after completing our addiction rehab program, Guiding Light offers programming to address big-picture issues: Employment… Housing… Addiction Rehab and Recovery, and Community Re-building.
No longer the traditional homeless shelter from which we began, we are committed to both the non-duplication of services and being good neighbors to the life-giving local charity organizations around us. In addition to our primary programs, we still continue to:
But our own strategy of helping the homeless has changed to one that, when successful, takes the homeless or downtrodden man off the street permanently. When he takes yet another step and helps others on a similar journey, the circle of sustainability continues.
Through the guiding light of God’s Spirit, Guiding Light partners with individuals to fulfill their God-given potential through rescue, recovery and re-engagement in the community.
