CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte woman is using her cleaning business to help families struggling with mental health challenges, illness, addiction recovery and other hardships by offering free home cleanings to those in need.
Rachel Farber is on a mission.
“I believe that your environment can dictate how you feel on the inside,” said Farber, with Lighthouse Cleaning Ministries.
One free cleaning at a time
“The pictures we are receiving are that of crisis,” she said.
Farber has been in the house-cleaning business for 10 years. Originally from Colorado, she and her son relocated to Charlotte from Asheville after Hurricane Helene.
“And restarted a cleaning business here,” she said. “I noticed more and more houses, more and more families with children in the houses, and the homes were not livable.”
She says some families could only afford to pay for part of the home, so she started offering to clean other rooms for free.
“For any of us, a dirty house can be shameful and embarrassing,” Farber said. “But, if you add poor mental health on top of that, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction, sobriety, and you add those things on top of a dirty house, the chaos is mentally overwhelming.”
And for Farber, it’s personal.
“I myself suffered with alcoholism,” she said. “My family, growing up, had mental health issues. I’ve gone through it, so I feel like God has placed something in my heart to help others who are suffering.”
She’s helped overwhelmed families living with medical challenges, those working on their sobriety, and others coping with loss.
Farber feels strongly that house cleaning should not be a luxury, and she sees the difference it makes, one client at a time.
“When she came home, she was just crying, so happy, so grateful, so lifted, so light,” she said. That’s the whole point. I want to bring light into these homes.”
If you would like to apply for a free clean, volunteer your time, or donate supplies, click here.