Description
Since 1988, Bridges has reached out to the homeless and the near homeless in New York City, Newark and Irvington every week. The Bridges' Run is at the core of our programs. On a typical street Run, our truck is loaded with food, soup, new underwear, socks, shoes, additional clothing, toiletries and other items, donated or purchased by Bridges. At the Run site, volunteers distribute goods with compassion and respect. Last year, Bridges made 75 Runs to New York City; 96 to Newark; and 50 to Irvington. Nearly 100,000 brown bag meals were delivered, in addition to 9,000 toiletry kits, 13,000 pairs of new socks, and 1,500 gallons of soup, hot chocolate and lemonade.
Bridges has recently seen expansion in its programming through its launch of Project Connect at St. John's Church in Newark, NJ. Project Connect provides case management services to homeless individuals in Newark. Project Connect case managers serve as the link between homeless individuals and essential resources including: medical, mental health, social and identification services. At St. John’s, Bridges expands services that will lead to more consistent care and a healthier life with the ultimate goal of housing for our homeless friends.
