News

A Season of Giving & Thanksgiving

December 10, 2024

Christmas, which is right around the corner, is a time of celebration and spiritual reflection for Christians. A time to celebrate God’s love for the world through the birth of Jesus, a time where we give gifts to loved ones, and a time to be thankful for all that we have received.

This holiday season, we at Bridge of Hope want to express our gratitude to each of you for the role that you have played in the lives of many by opening your heart and making room for more mothers and their children to have a place to call home!

Thanks to your involvement and generosity this year, we have been able to accomplish great things. At the start of 2024, in a previous e-newsletter issue, I announced our commitment to addressing five areas to deepen and expand our work, and I am now pleased to provide some exciting end-of-year updates!

• Launch a Bridge of Hope in 2 new communities.

We were able to launch new program sites at two nonprofit organizations that work to transform the lives of families experiencing homelessness and restore hope to at-risk children: Rainbow Village in Duluth, GA and Hope Academy for Kids in Elizabethtown, KY.

• Deepen our mental health support for families in crisis.

Thanks to funds received through LMC Legacy Foundation, we have been working on a new case management curriculum to provide mental health support to children who have experienced homelessness.

Additionally, we are piloting an equine-assisted therapy program for children and mothers who have experienced trauma at Little Springs Farm in Mohnton, PA. The program promotes the process of healing by interacting with horses that are attuned to the rider’s inner wellness.

• Develop new financial strategies to support families.

Financial literacy plays a crucial role in a family’s ability to get out of homelessness by enabling them to effectively manage their income, budget for essential needs, avoid unnecessary debt, and ultimately save enough money to secure stable housing. Bridge of Hope case managers continue to receive training and innovative resources as they work with families on budgeting, life skills, job preparation, and home management.

• Expand our landlord partnerships.

This past year, we saw a 28% increase in landlords partnering with Bridge of Hope to house families. This includes several Bridge of Hope supporters who purchased housing and are now renting it at below market rates to families we serve. Click here to read more about our multi-pronged approach to addressing housing issues.

• Serve more families.

This past year Bridge of Hope helped 367 parents and children end homelessness and are currently, on average, experiencing fewer days to find housing for our families and days to connect them with a supportive group of Neighboring Volunteers. With your generosity, we can help even more families next year!