Bridge Communities / Charitable Giving

Bridge Communities image

By HM staff

We were delighted to hold a series of events this year, using outdoor and socially-distanced formats, as well as hybrid and virtual events. These activities continued to forge connections between the courageous families we serve and the compassionate individuals in the community who journey alongside our families and help empower them to achieve success. In June, we launched our first Wine Women & Shoes event, which had been delayed for a more than a year due to the pandemic. We were thrilled to debut this long-awaited afternoon at Ruth Lake Country Club, where guests enjoyed a high-energy fashion show, shopping, raffles, auctions, wine tastings and so much more—all to benefit the families served by Bridge Communities. The event raised an unprecedented $215,000 and we are looking forward to holding this event once more in Spring 2022! In 2022, we plan to evolve our housing portfolio and program services to develop a service model to stabilize families in a shorter timeframe and serve as a bridge and/or feeder into our Transitional Housing Program. Our employment services programs will formalize education and training options for non-traditional and tradesman job opportunities. We are continuing to host continuing education for our volunteers via our Mentor University classes. These classes have included topics such as Motivational Coaching, Mentoring During COVID-19 and more. We hosted a virtual volunteer appreciation event, One Heart, One Bridge. We connected with mentors via town-hall meetings to gather insights and recommendations for program evolution. And, we’ve recently created a full-time Volunteer Coordinator staff position, which will increase our engagement with our volunteers in the coming year!

*Photo provided by Bridge Communities

Author

Plunge-1-mike-1

Polar Plunge in Oak Brook raises money for Special Olympics Illinois

Photo-2-WSGC-Kickoff-Oct.2024-Group-photo-1

Girls Just Want to Give Funds: The Western Suburbs Giving Circle

OB-SportsCorp_Pool-1

Oak Brook Sports Core: A Year of Growth and Innovation

Photo-1-IMG_0962extend-e1736476758592-1

A Heart Warming Story

Untitled design

Melissa Gorman creates a supportive resource for people living with cancer

Photo-1-JohnnyBeverlyParachute20231-e1736473443654-1

Beverly Kim’s journey from Downers Grove to becoming one of Chicago’s top chefs

Photo-1-IMG_4465-e1736476407234-1

Hope’s Front Door serves the needs of area clients in the short and long-term

Photo-1-Mansur-triathlon-12-5-24-e1736472441870-1

Marathon Man: Bahir Mansur has competed in 50 marathons and counting

HUEUR-e1736476125983-1

Local soccer players return for Big Ten Tournament showdown

John-Kinsella-Cover-Option-1

The Golden Age: Olympic medalist looks back on legendary swim career

pexels-karolina-grabowska-6952452-e1736471794372-1

Breaking the Ice: Hinsdale volunteer snow shoveling helps residents

NAZ1

Three-Peat: Nazareth wins third straight Class 5A football championship