About Bridge Communities
Bridge Communities has been helping homeless families move from homelessness, financial instability and limited employment to financial self-sufficiency and permanent housing since 1988.
The two-year Bridge Communities Transitional Housing program provides each family with safe and affordable housing, case management, life skills mentoring, transportation, job readiness and training, and after school tutoring in order to achieve lifelong self-sufficiency. All of this is accomplished through partnerships with more than 40 faith-based and community service groups located throughout DuPage County.
The Bridge Communities’ mission is to inspire and affect change by advocating for homeless families, while at the same time providing services and opportunities that connect those families to a better future. We collaborate with faith-based partners, community groups and businesses to leverage resources and create long-term solutions. We lead by example through our innovative programs and grassroots involvement. We strive for personal integrity in all interactions. We encourage collaborative decision-making while valuing individual initiative. We value diverse perspectives. We consciously sustain an environment of caring, support and personal growth for our staff and others with whom we work.
Homelessness in DuPage County is a hidden epidemic. If a local homeless family is lucky, they will shuffle around to friends’ and family’s houses while the parents try to work and the kids try to keep up in school. Many homeless families aren’t so lucky. They sleep in their car, bounce night after night through temporary shelters, or even live on the street. There are an estimated 48,000 homeless people in DuPage County, the majority of who are children. The average age of a Bridge Communities client is 8 years old.
“Our dream has always been to provide quality, affordable housing for families who want to raise their families in the communities where we have lived and raised our families. Our mission is to create this dream, one family a time.” Co-founders: Mark Milligan and Bob Wahlgren
