A year of firsts, a year of progress, a year of successes, a year of purpose.

Thanks to you in 2017 Bridge House reached new heights.

In 2017, we helped lead efforts to re-organize and make homeless services in Boulder more effective and efficient.

Since 2012, our consistent and bold vision has been to create custom solutions to end homelessness one person at a time. Our work through Ready to Work, the Resource Center and, now, Path to Home, we have demonstrated that through tenacity and creativity homelessness need not be the permanent reality for those we serve.

People experiencing homelessness can and will find a better future when given a hand up. Whether that is a job, or housing search assistance, or access to medical or mental health care – when you believe in people miracles happen.

I am personally thankful the amazing opportunity to work with a team of talented, dedicated individuals; to partner with a committed community of fellow service providers and policy makers; to collaborate with a broad range of thought leaders and direct service warriors; and, most importantly, to be fortunate enough to meet and learn from our clients – some of the most creative and resilient people I know.

I am pleased to share my top 10 for 2017!

10. Bridge House touched more than 4,000 lives of adults experiencing homelessness in Boulder. We delivered more than 10,000 case management appointments and $57,404 of direct financial assistance.

9. Bridge House in partnership with faith communities was selected as the Severe Weather Shelter for the City of Boulder ensuring that even as we strive for more permanent housing solutions we can ensure that all people have access to a safe and warm place to sleep on our coldest nights of the year.

8. Ready to Work forged exciting and meaningful new employer partnerships with Tebo Properties, Open Space Mountain Parks, and Sage Hospitality to name a few. These amazing partners have offered permanent , living wage jobs for graduates of our Ready to Work program – Sage alone has hired 6 graduates full-time in their new Boulder hotels!

7. Bridge House had more than 600 volunteers who logged more than 4,500 volunteer hours in 2017. Volunteers are essential at Bridge House completing projects from cooking; to serving meals; to mentoring. In November, 50 kids and their parents made 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in one day!

6. Community Table Kitchen contracted with several new wholesale partners including Alfalfa’s Market and Danconias Brownies. As the co-packer for these brands Community Table Kitchen earns revenue while creating training and jobs for Ready to Work trainees.
In 2017, Community Table Kitchen logged over 14,000 trainee hours in culinary arts; prepared over 80,000 meals for people experiencing homelessness; and earned $373,971 in revenue to support the wages of 37 trainees.

Click here to read about our annual Christmas meal where we served over 300 homeless and low income individuals on Christmas day.

5. In 2017, Bridge House grew to 47 staff members across 3 programs. This amazing team has a heart of gold with a belief in the human spirit beyond compare. Our team asks “why not?” when others ask “why?”. The results speak for themselves.

4. Bridge House launched Path to Home –a combination of the legacy programs of Bridge House case management and BOHO’s sheltering expertise, Path to Home has become Boulder’s navigation sheltering model coupling intentional, housing-specific case management for those seeking short-term shelter in our community. Click here to watch the Channel 7 news story on Path to Home.

3. Bridge House joined forces with private developers and the City of Boulder for a truly innovative partnership to utilize 2196 30th street for 24/7 Path to Home Navigation shelter and services prior to the property’s redevelopment into 50 units of affordable housing within 3 years. This furthers both the short term and long term goals of the City of Boulder’s Homeless Service Strategy.

2. With the support of private funders, the City of Aurora, and the State of Colorado, Bridge House went under contract to purchase a 3176 S. Peoria Court in Aurora to develop a 50 bed Ready to Work program to provide jobs and housing to people experiencing homelessness in Aurora. Read the article featured in the Aurora Sentinel  We are thrilled to share our award-winning model with others in the region.

1. More than 72 people now have a safe, stable, permanent home of their own this holiday season thanks to the work of Bridge House’s Ready to Work and Path to Home programs.

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