Organization History
Lighthouse of Hope Foundation Inc. was established in March 2020 to address food insecurity and provide essential resources to underserved families. The foundation grew from years of grassroots outreach led by Founder and CEO Donna Sautia, whose work was rooted in direct community engagement and lived experience.
Beginning in 2015, Donna personally distributed food by purchasing bulk staples and repackaging them for families in need. As awareness and demand increased, the number of individuals served grew from dozens to hundreds—and now thousands—prompting the transition from informal outreach to structured, recurring food distributions. Lighthouse of Hope Foundation was formally launched to sustain and expand this growing impact.
After more than 20 years as a small business owner, Donna committed full-time to nonprofit leadership. Shortly thereafter, her family experienced housing instability and homelessness for six months in 2019. This experience provided firsthand insight into the challenges faced by families navigating food and housing insecurity and continues to inform the foundation’s mission, values, and service model.
Today, Lighthouse of Hope Foundation works in partnership with businesses, faith-based organizations, and community stakeholders to deliver consistent, dignity-centered support to families facing hardship.
Donna Sautia
