Life Lab
How to read a lease. How to cook for one on $40 a week. How to fight a medical bill. How to parallel park.
Life Lab runs short, practical workshops every week at The Porch: budgeting, credit, taxes, cooking, renters' rights, job interviews, and getting a driver's license. Most are taught by Lanternhouse alumni.
Participants who finish the Money Basics series can open a Lantern Match account. Every dollar saved is matched 2 to 1, up to $1,500 a year, for a car, a deposit, school, or an emergency fund.
We also run Road Ready, which covers driving lessons, the permit fee, and the road test for anyone without a parent to teach them.
What you get
- Weekly workshops with dinner
- 2-to-1 savings match up to $1,500 a year
- Free driving lessons and road test fees
- One-on-one help with taxes each spring
Questions
Do I need to sign up for workshops?
No. Just come. Signing up helps us order enough food.
What can I use matched savings for?
A car, a deposit, school costs, or an emergency fund. You choose.
Often paired with
- HousingLanding HomesFurnished apartments with up to 24 months of rent support, a key on day one, and someone to call when the pipe bursts.
- MentoringAnchor MentorsOne trained adult, matched for at least two years, who answers the phone at 11 p.m. and shows up for the graduation.
- Education and workPathwaysGED to graduate school, apprenticeships to first paychecks. Paid training, tuition help, and an employer network that hires our people.