Caddo commissioners to further study request for $500,000 for Community Lighthouse project

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — An ArkLaTex nonprofit wants to help citizens during power outages.

The North Louisiana Interfaith Coalition’s Community Lighthouse projects would equip some buildings with solar panels and battery backup systems, assisting people when they lose power, especially during disasters.

Caddo commissioner were set to vote Monday on whether to give $500,000 toward the $1 million pilot project. They, however, sent the proposal back to a committee for further discussion.

Morning Star Baptist Church in Shreveport’s Mooretown neighborhood and the Highland Center would be the first Lighthouse sites in Caddo Parish.

“They enable each location to provide people to plug in medical devices, cellphones for us to have a place where we can distribute food, as well as provide water,” said John Henson, past of Church for the Highlands. “And it seems to be a real issue in this city and this parish just having water we can rely on. "

Theron Jackson, pastor of Morning Star Baptist, said: “Being able to get people electricity for folks who live in our community who are on oxygen and different things like that and even the necessity to charge your phone. So those things become important. Sometimes you don’t know how important until you don’t have electricity.”

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