Spraying for a Cause

Late Summer 2019 - Patrick Mahoney has been in the spray foam business for over eight years and his success in the industry has allowed him to pay it forward in a major way. Using profits earned through his spray foam company, Mahoney and his team have created a nonprofit organization that is changing lives in an eastern African country.

Lighthouse Insulation Services LLC, founded in January 2016, almost exclusively deals with spray foam insulation. Pat’s faith is the main motivator behind his company and the culture he has created amongst his team members.

Mahoney states, “The vision was for a culture of working with a purpose.” Lighthouse Farms International was later established in September 2016 to create and run a goat farm in Uganda. Although spray foam has directly supported this vision, Pat and his wife continue to contribute to the farm out of their own pockets. Knowing the future of this project rested on their shoulders forced Mahoney to get creative with creating more revenue. Pat proudly reports, “Lighthouse Farms is now a recognized NGO in Uganda and a 501c charitable organization in the United States.”

At first, people thought starting a goat farm halfway across the world would never succeed, but Lighthouse Farms now boasts almost 200 goats, and the goal is to reach 500 over the next couple of years. These animals are an agricultural and culinary staple in most parts of the world and are relatively easy to shepherd. Goats have a short gestation period, which allows them to reach maturity faster.

Together with a friend’s ministry project they have partnered with, local villagers are experiencing opportunities that were not previously available to them until now. Mahoney explains, “When people in the U.S. contribute to the farm, they get to see their donations/investments grow, multiply, and eventually overflow. It is changing the way many people close to me look at charitable donations.”

The goal is to create sustainable profits for a ministry project that Mahoney’s friend started. Eventually, the budget for this ministry will come entirely from the farm’s profits. Mahoney says with confidence that this goal is only about a year away!

Pat would like to inspire others in similar positions to think about how they can also make an impact, either big or small. “I think if other spray foam owners began to look for ways to give back to the community (and the world), they would experience purpose beyond their day-to-day operations!”

Be sure to check out the “Inside Lighthouse” YouTube channel to follow the journey and learn more about the team’s ongoing mission. You can also visit www.lighthouseinsulation.com for more information.