Bridges to Independence

Bridges’ mission is to lead individuals and families out of homelessness and into stable, independent futures. Bridges' vision of breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty is carried out through three core programs that are supported by supportive services. The three core programs are 1) operating Arlington County's largest emergency family shelter (Sullivan House), 2) offering a housing program called Rapid Rehousing where safe and stable housing is our first priority, and 3) providing community empowerment programming to the Green Valley neighborhood of Arlington County. Within these programs, current and "alumni" beneficiaries have access to wrap around supportive services.

Since the start of the pandemic, Bridges never stopped or closed our programs, and now our services are needed more than ever, especially as our shelter has reached max occupancy.

At the start of the pandemic, about 80% of Bridges families found themselves unemployed or experiencing a significant reduction in hours due to restaurants and retail stores closing. Even as the service industry reopens, hours and tables are limited. Thus, restaurants and coffee shops have rehired less people, so the open opportunities are limited and highly competitive. In addition, as more and more retail stores close permanently, retail is less of an option for families to return to. Compounded to that is a lack of childcare, especially because Arlington County schools have been hybrid or virtual the past year.


Even before COVID-19, families were arriving to the shelter because minimum wage jobs are not of a livable wage in Arlington County. The area median income for Arlington is $117,000, which means that the families in Bridges program would have to work 2.5 full-time, minimum-wage jobs to even qualify for a 30% affordable housing unit. Since they are parents, they cannot work those hours, and especially because childcare in Arlington County is cost-prohibitive, childcare vouchers are accepted at less than 5% of daycare centers, COVID-19 caused many  many childcare centers to close, and schools were virtual this past year.


Uncertainty of the pandemic remains our biggest challenge. Bridges continues to endure added costs for safety protocols to include extra cleanings and temperature face screenings to keep our families safe. In addition, over the past couple of weeks, we have experienced an increased demand for our services which can be attributed to the lifted eviction moratorium. Bridges housed 41 families in the last six months. Normally, we house 62 families a year. There is a continuing growth in the need for our services and we do not predict this changing soon. 

While there is still much work that needs to be done, the past few months contained a few successes for families at Bridges. First, we are thrilled to share that as of today, 40% of families at Bridges are employed! This is a drastic change from the start of the pandemic, and thanks to our workforce development program, we are well on the way to achieving employment for all families at Bridges. Secondly, a youth involved in Bridges youth programming just started her first semester at Howard University! For background on her incredible story, Saidia* and her family arrived in the U.S. with no resources, family connections, and no means to earn money when she was just a young girl. Left with no options, her family entered Bridges' shelter. While at Bridges, Saidia immersed herself in Bridges' youth programming, including the Lemonade Stand, tutoring, and mentoring. When in high school, she participated in Bridges' internship program, working at local companies such as Enterprise Knowledge, Little Architecture, and Bean Kinney & Korman. She continued to work with Bridges' volunteers in the tutoring and mentoring programs, took multiple AP courses, maintained a position on the honor roll every quarter, and graduated with a 3.3 GPA. She started at Howard this fall and is well on her way to leading a stable and independent future. 

We need your support because of the long-term sustained impact of the pandemic, and we won't be able to serve the increased demand for our services without you. For just $100, you can cover a rental application fee for a family just like Saidia's so they can move from our emergency shelter into a stable apartment of their own. 

Regardless of what the future may hold, we remain ever grateful to you, our donors, and community partners for helping the families in our community move forward, particularly in times of increased need.

*Name changed for confidentiality