582,000 Homeless in America
How do we even begin to address this?
What Goes Though Your Mind When You See A Homeless Person?
When you see a homeless person at the top of a freeway ramp, are you more likely to
1) feel a great amount of compassion and reach for a five dollar bill, or
2) start thinking about how we can solve the housing crises in Los Angeles for the estimated 60,000 people who need shelter?
Let Me Introduce you To Bridges, a Strategic Boots on the Ground Organization
Are You a Strategic Thinker Like Me?
If you are a strategic thinker, and you want to solve the bigger problem, you will want to invest in Bridges as a whole. When you invest in Bridges, you are investing in over 45 leaders whose impact gets multiplied through 45 ministries to thousands and thousands of people in six states.
And it gets bigger.
Bridges is doing R&D on new ways to structure nonprofits and churches in America, so we can gather in groups at a much lower cost and give more to help solve all the problems we are facing as a nation.
Want to Press a $5 Bill in to Help That Person?
If, however, you love pressing that five dollar bill into the palm of the homeless woman, you will want to pick one of our Bridge Leaders who are doing something that really moves your heart.
Helping 20 year olds launch their lives from home? That’s Pauline. Helping widows and widowers–that’s Bridge Leader Crista Polich. Want to help war refugees? Political Refugees? Children living in violent neighborhoods?
Our Bridge Leaders do so many really good things for some of the neediest people. Help at least one.
Who We Are in This Time of Need?
Bridges is a Compassionate and Strategic Organization
Our organization tackles the challenging issues. It takes more than having compassion or strategy, it takes both. Our bridge leaders are on the ground tackling these issues and taking a new approach to the entire non-profit sector of America
Jim's Milley's Story
The answer to the question of what would I do in the situation of helping the homeless?
The answer is I enjoy doing both.
I reach for the five dollar bill and I start thinking about how we can solve the shelter challenge for all those homeless people. When I was a missionary in Ethiopia, one time I started handing out coins. I was immediately surrounded by over 30 beggars. I realized that the more coins I gave out, the more beggers appeared.
Compassion was good, but not enough. Another time, I attempted to have a picnic lunch on a blanket in the grass. I looked up to see children standing in a large circle all the way around me, all of them hungry, looking at the picnic food.
I gave them everything I had and walked away thinking about how to meet the challenge of feeding all the hungry children in the country.
When I came back to America and saw that a diminishing percentage of Americans were going to church regularly. I felt the same way and responded similarly.
I felt compassion. And I began to think strategically.
I had to do something. It had to be more than simply trying to raise money to do more of the same thing. As time went by, I discovered that it had to be Bridges.
Florence Story
Florence Annang saw unsupervised children in Pasadena after school essentially waiting to get into trouble. She has organized play and study groups. Moreover, she saw neighborhoods of people of color whose interaction with the Pasadena Police was often hostile — on both sides. Florence won community representation in communicating with the police department, which has helped both the community and the police to feel that they are partners in making the neighborhood safe.
Norm's Story
When Norm Gordon returned to the Maryland area where he grew up, he took his inspiration from Jesus: he listened and watched, trying to find community needs with which he could help. Ne found that between COVID and the time demands made on parents where both worked, only 28% of the children entering third grade were reading at grade level. The overwhelming majority were perched on the edge of an educational cliff. Working with the community, Norm has organized an after-school reading proficiency program that has increased grade level reading success to the high 80’s, and is till climbing.
Pauline's Story
Young adults across America are struggling to find their way in our rapidly changing culture. Pause, Sip & Ponder seeks to empower young adults to move forward to become healthy, fulfilled, and contributing adults.
Pause, Sip & Ponder provides a safe space for conversations as well as assistance in accessing resources such as mental health care, mentor programs, career fairs, and online job boards. Bridge Leader Pauline Turla creates in-person events as well as engaging people through podcasts and social media platforms.
Catharine's Story
After two decades of service as a missionary in Uganda, Catharine Coon continues her focus on youth, now serving middle and high school students in Northern California. The youth between Chico and Redding in Northern California are, according to Barna, living among communities that are some of the most unchurched, post-Christian, and economically needy communities in America.
Rachelle's Story
Diane's Story
What Makes Bridges Special
Bridges Support Leaders
by providing a platform to empower the “boots on the ground” to succeed and grow in their missionary work.
Bridges Has Awesome Leaders
You’ve read just a few samples of our leaders’ work in their ministry. Our leaders have made an impact in their communities, helping the homeless and children in need and training youth in new skills. These are just a few examples of how our Bridge leaders make a difference.
Our Track Record is Noteworthy
- 150 Leaders Trained
- 1,570 New Disciples of Christ
- 7500 Intentional friendships outside of Church Culture
What are your waiting for?
We are having our end of the year drive to help us tackle major problems facing society. Please help us become a better organization so we may help Florence, Pauline, Norm and 200 other active Bridges Leader to administer their mission to improving the lives of people of all walks of life and religion.