Ribbon Cutting for Lighthouse Child Avocacy Center

The Lighthouse Child Advocacy Center on Thursday October 21, 2021, held a ribbon cutting at their new home, the previous Dr. Ed Emch office building at 261 Monroe Ave, New Martinsville. The Wetzel/Tyler Chamber of Commerce representatives, City Recorder, Commissioner, and other city officials were present for the ceremony.

Susan Scharf, Executive Director thanked all involved including the Wetzel County Commission for their donation and support to be able to purchase the new facility.

Mrs. Scharf and her staff gave free tours of the new center to help child abuse from Wetzel/Tyler counties. I took the tour with Susan and it’s a very cozy, nice building, with a top notch staff.

After the tour the visitors were treated to free food and refreshments.

Scharf, her husband, and everyone involved has done a wonderful job getting the building ready to serve the children and their families at a first class facility. It is a one stop facility that handles the cases all the way to the end including the healing process. The services are free of charge.

Traditionally, after making an abuse outcry, children are moved from agency to agency and endure multiple interviews, which creates additional trauma. The Lighthouse Child Advocacy Center turns that model upside down by providing a safe, child-friendly facility where child protection, and child treatment professionals work together to investigate abuse, hold offenders accountable, and help children heal.

The Lighthouse Child Child Advocacy Center can be reached at 304-398-2311.