Bridge A Life began as a small group. As some group members began to pursue foster care and adoption, the other members rallied around them with support such as meals, childcare, home improvement projects, etc. Bridge A Life now serves caregivers in the foster and adoptive spaces in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Their mission is to provide Christ-centered hope for children with relational trauma through awareness and family support, helping ensure these families are fully equipped to bring about healing and generational change. There are many tools Bridge A Life uses to accomplish this mission, three of which our church partners with them most closely.
The Gathering
The Gathering is a monthly event serving as the main training tool Bridge A Life uses to empower caregivers with essential knowledge, tools, and resources to understand and meet the unique needs of children from hard backgrounds. It also provides a time for caregivers to connect with each other while volunteers pour into and have a blast with their kids. Historically, the Gathering has been offered in Sarasota. However, West B has offered the space and volunteers needed to bring it to Bradenton, making it easier for families in Manatee County to attend!
Volunteers are vital to making the Gathering possible. Our church has several people who serve every month, but with more volunteers, we can invite more families to come. Volunteers hang out with kids for a few hours once a month on a Monday night. This is a huge need we have as we continue to partner well and make an impact on families in the foster care system. If you are interested in volunteering, sign up here:
CarePortal
CarePortal is a national tool used to connect churches with families in need through local child welfare agencies. The goal is for churches to help provide tangibly what a family needs to help ensure children are not removed and placed into foster care. Bridge A Life brought CarePortal to our area and has overseen its implementation. It has been so effective that within the first 12 months of running CarePortal, the Safe Children Coalition reported a 60% reduction in children entering out-of-home care.
In our church, the Spanish Ministry is pioneering the effort to serve through CarePortal. Eventually, this will be an effort the entire church adopts. If you are interested in learning more, sign up here:
Superhero 5k
The Superhero 5k and Fun Run is an annual awareness event hosted by Bridge A Life. This year was the 13th annual Foster Care Awareness Event with over 1,000 runners. It provides an excellent and fun platform for highlighting such an important need in our community. One of the most special parts of the Superhero 5k is that the race starting line has the name of each child currently in foster care in our area handwritten in chalk. It is a beautiful reminder that behind each foster care statistic is a child with a story.
