The hard work and tireless efforts of Bridge employees and volunteers is definitely paying off! The Bridge is only $25,000 short of its’ $500,000 goal that was set three years ago for the Building Bridges Program. We had expected to raise the money over a period of five years, not three, but now we’re gearing up to reach our goal by December! Building Bridges is our relatively new early childhood behavioral health program. The program has served hundreds of children six years of age and under, providing counseling services to treat behavioral health problems that face preschool-age children and their families. This program is invaluable, because it treats behavioral health problems like post-traumatic stress and emotionally reactive behavior at a young age, before these issues lead to bigger problems as the child gets older. Many mental health issues are preventable or minimized when the caregivers have the proper tools and support, so parent education and training is an important part of the Early Childhood Behavioral Program as well. The program uses individual play therapy as well as family play therapy to help the child express him or herself through an outlet that is natural to them. Be on the lookout for an article about the Building Bridges Campaign in our next newsletter. You can also donate online to help us reach our goal by December by visiting www.bridgeyouth.org/onlinepaymentcenter.htm. Or, you can organize your own fundraiser for The Bridge. Something as simple as a dinner party can raise awareness and money, while you enjoy good food and time with friends. Thank you everyone who has made a donation in the past, we couldn’t have gotten so close to reaching our goal without you!
Archive for September, 2009
Everyone at the Bridge Youth & Family Services is busy preparing for our first Bridge The Gap Walk, which will be held on October 3, 2009 at 9 a.m.
The Walk is one of our newest fundraisers and is the brainchild of Jon Schwartz, our development intern. The 2.5-mile walk will be led by Walk Marshall Suzanne “Suzie” Bassi, one of our state representatives. We’d like to thank Suzie for taking time out of her busy schedule to host our event. We also contacted President Barack Obama to participate and received a call back from one of his assistants to let us know the president would like to make an appearance, but unfortunately his schedule would not permit it. While we were disappointed that he couldn’t attend, it was exciting to know that our request was read and taken into consideration.
The walk will begin at the corner of Illinois & Quentin Road in Palatine, IL, where the Bridge is located. Pledge sheets and registration forms are available online. You can also sign up to walk or make a pledge online at www.bridgeyouth.org/bridgethegap Anyone who raises at least $50 in addition to the registration fee will receive a t-shirt and the first 200 registrants will get a goody bag! We look forward to seeing all of you at the Bridge the Gap Walk for a little fun, exercise and fundraising.
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