Core Foundations of Bridge of Hope Services

Knowing and understanding why Bridge of Hope exists and what motivates our work is crucial to the success of your location and the families you serve. The below Core Foundations will help you familiarize yourself with Bridge of Hope’s mission and vision.

Bridge of Hope National and our network of locations are faith-based ministries that have been called into existence by the Church. As such, our unique role is to be a voice to the Church on behalf of families facing homelessness. We call local Christian faith communities (churches, house-churches, Bible Study groups, etc.) from a wide variety of Christian traditions to work together to respond to homelessness in their community. Then we train and equip them in a response that is life-giving and holistic. Bridge of Hope locations serve families facing homelessness from diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. In addition, we recognize the unique context of each world religion, and we value similar work done by nonprofits representing other faith traditions.

Homelessness in the U.S. impacts a large number of “hidden families.” Bridge of Hope’s program is designed specifically to meet the needs of single mothers and children – the largest group of families who are homeless. According to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, 80+% of all families experiencing homelessness are headed by women. These single mothers are typically in their late 20s and have two children. 95% of the families we serve in Bridge of Hope are headed by a single mom, and the other 5% are families headed by a grandparent, single father, two parents, or an older sibling.

By incorporating a case manager into this partnership to address complicated obstacles to family stability and to provide accountability, Neighboring Volunteers are freed to concentrate on developing neighboring relationships with women and children who are homeless.

In the Bridge of Hope Neighborhood, the case manager and the Neighboring Volunteers hold distinctly different roles. The case manager is better equipped to discern the source of the challenges, whether societal, institutional or individual, and to tackle them appropriately. The case manager is professionally trained with an understanding of the difficult issues moms often confront, including poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health concerns. The case manager, who has extensive knowledge of community resources and relationships with other service providers, can link Families to appropriate resources in the community. The case manager also assists the Family to determine current needs, plan for the future, access resources, develop practical skills in areas such as budgeting and parenting, and monitors progress toward goals.

Bridge of Hope calls churches from diverse Christian faith traditions to support families facing homelessness. It is out of this calling that we highlight the following reasons why the Church today needs to be in relationship with homeless single mothers and their children:

  • God calls the Church to relationships: God longs to be in right relationship with us and to see us in right relationship with each other. Families facing homelessness remind us that our relationship with God is more than just a private response to the God of the universe.
  • God calls the Church to bless others: God’s directive, throughout Scripture, is that the provision we experience from God is not only meant for our own sakes but also for the sake of those around us. We are blessed to bless others (Genesis 12:1-3).
  • God calls the Church to vulnerability: Just as Jesus chose to give up power for the sake of God’s call to serve humankind (Philippians 2), the Church must also embrace and honor the marginalized and forsaken. The Church will only be effective as it becomes vulnerable and humble, meekly caring for others both within and outside the Church (Matthew 5:1-11).
  • God calls the Church to be a renewed community: When church communities commit to building neighboring relationships that provide tangible support and encouragement to families facing homelessness, they demonstrate obedience, experience transformation, and connect with Jesus in new ways that revitalize their faith.

Provision of rental assistance is a foundational part of the Bridge of Hope program. Rental assistance is typically provided on a decreasing basis over a period of 6 to 12 months. The amount of rental assistance is based on each woman’s individual circumstances and plans for financial stability and is determined in consultation with the program staff implementing the Bridge of Hope model. Rental assistance enables women to pursue job training and education to increase earning potential, pay down back debts/fines, develop positive budgeting skills, and possibly even establish an emergency savings fund, all while meeting the basic needs of their families.