LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — For Craig Ciriaco and Jaime Vlaho, opening the doors to Lighthouse Maryland isn’t simply about providing a roof over someone’s head.
It’s about offering something many people have gone without for far too long: hope.
After months of planning, the nonprofit has officially opened its first transitional housing home in Lexington Park, marking the beginning of what its founders hope will become a growing network of recovery-focused residences serving some of Southern Maryland’s most vulnerable residents. The organization recently announced the opening on social media while asking the community to help furnish the home with donations of twin beds, furniture and household essentials.
More Than Transitional Housing
While the first Lighthouse Maryland residence is currently designed as a sober living and transitional housing program for men, Ciriaco and Vlaho say their vision extends far beyond one home.
“We’re really looking to transform lives through a very compassionate approach of leadership and evidence-informed recovery services,” Vlaho said in an interview with The BayNet. “It’s about personal accountability, opportunities and lifelong growth.”
Rather than simply providing temporary housing, Lighthouse Maryland aims to equip residents with the skills and support necessary to build independent, healthy lives.
Services will continue expanding as the organization grows and are expected to include recovery support, employment assistance, peer mentoring, life skills development, health and nutrition education, and connections to community resources.
“We want to be the conduit for people turning their lives around in multiple healthy avenues,” Vlaho said.
A Growing Vision For Southern Maryland
Although the first residence serves men, both founders emphasized that the need throughout Southern Maryland reaches far beyond one population.
“There is a huge need here in Southern Maryland that we’re finding,” Ciriaco said.
Plans are already underway to develop future housing specifically for women, veterans, women with children and even fathers raising children.
Ciriaco, who has worked in recovery housing for 17 years, said his desire to eventually establish a veterans residence is deeply personal.
He recalled losing one of his closest friends — a Marine veteran and colleague who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder before ultimately taking his own life.
“I have a very big heart for our servicemen and women,” Ciriaco said. “We will be starting a veterans house where we can get them the help and the safety and the homes that they so well deserve for what they’ve done for our country.”
He added that addiction, homelessness and mental illness “don’t discriminate,” and neither should access to compassionate care.
Creating A Place That Feels Like Home
For many future residents, Lighthouse Maryland won’t simply replace homelessness — it will provide something they may not have experienced in years.
“A lot of them come from tents,” Ciriaco said. “They come from sleeping in their cars. They come from domestic violence.”
His goal is simple.
“We want a safe, sober living place where people don’t judge. It’s clean, it’s nice, it’s in a very nice neighborhood, and they can come here and relax and go, ‘Wow.'”
Having a warm bed, a safe place to sleep and a supportive community are things many people take for granted, he said.
“The biggest thing that we can do for somebody — a human being — is give them a safe place to live.”
Vlaho added that Lighthouse Maryland also hopes to introduce residents to opportunities they may have never experienced before, including wellness programs, nutrition education and healthy lifestyle practices that help position them for long-term success.
“We want to provide them all the tools so that their next step is you’re set up for success and you have your tribe. You have your people,” she said.
Community Partnerships Will Be Key
The founders say Lighthouse Maryland was never intended to work alone.
Instead, they envision the nonprofit acting as a central point connecting residents with local organizations, mental health providers, recovery programs, businesses and volunteers throughout Southern Maryland.
“I don’t have all the answers,” Ciriaco said. “The Lighthouse Maryland is just that. It’s a beacon. You come to us and we’ll direct you in the pathway that you need to be.”
The organization is actively seeking partnerships with health care providers, clinicians, businesses, churches, nonprofits and civic organizations to build a network of support for residents.
At the same time, simple donations remain just as valuable.
Furniture, beds, dishes, silverware, toiletries, transportation assistance and other household necessities all help transform an empty house into a home.
“If they contact us, we’ll coordinate pickup and drop-off,” Ciriaco said.
The founders also hope to acquire transportation vans in the future to better serve residents as they work toward employment and independence.
Built On Gratitude
Neither founder is originally from Southern Maryland, but both say they have fallen in love with the community they now call home.
“We’re both transplants, by the way, and we love our new community,” Vlaho said. “This is how we’re showing our love and the gratitude we have for the community that took us in and the place that we love.”
Since quietly announcing the opening, the response has exceeded their expectations.
“We both knew how much we were needed,” Vlaho said. “But we were still both taken aback when our phones just started lighting up.”
For Ciriaco, the mission isn’t ultimately about houses or furniture.
“I don’t care about the houses and the dishwashers and the stoves,” he said. “We’re dealing with people. That’s just stuff.”
He believes lasting change begins one neighborhood at a time.
“It starts right in the community,” Ciriaco said. “It starts with us coming together and not just talking about change, but we’re here to actually be the catalyst for that.”
As Lighthouse Maryland begins welcoming its first residents, the founders hope the community will continue helping them build not just homes, but new beginnings.
How To Help
Lighthouse Maryland is currently seeking donations of:
- Twin beds and mattresses
- Bedroom furniture
- Tables and chairs
- Kitchenware, dishes and silverware
- Toiletries and cleaning supplies
- Household essentials
- Transportation support, including future van donations
Residents and businesses interested in donating or partnering with Lighthouse Maryland can learn more by visiting lighthousemaryland.org or calling 667-391-3000.
Meet The Founders
Ciriaco recently came out of retirement after nearly two decades leading recovery housing programs, bringing extensive experience helping individuals overcome addiction and rebuild their lives.
Vlahos, a Realtor, has spent more than 20 years serving on nonprofit boards focused on housing insecurity, domestic violence advocacy, veterans and other vulnerable populations.
Together, they hope to expand Lighthouse Maryland beyond its first men’s recovery residence to include future homes for women, veterans, families and others in need.
“We are committed to being part of the fabric of Southern Maryland — fostering connection, growth and support — so that together, we can create a brighter, stronger future,” Vlahos said.
With the support of the Southern Maryland community, the founders hope Lighthouse Maryland will become more than a transitional housing program — it will be a place where hope is restored, lives are rebuilt and second chances begin.
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