Letter: 'Outpouring' of Support Bridge Communities'is Moving

Event Manager writes in on Bridge Communities after the third annual “Celebrating Women…Transforming Lives” luncheon.

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. ----------------- Dear Editor, At Bridge Communities’ third annual “Celebrating Women…Transforming Lives” luncheon on April 26, I was deeply moved by the incredible outpouring of support from our community, as evidenced by the sold-out event.  Since its founding in 1988, Bridge has helped 588 DuPage County families transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency, thanks to the dedicated individuals and organizations who believe in Bridge’s mission. The annual luncheon was a celebration of the indomitable spirit of our community’s hard-working women. Humanitarian and activist Mary Ellen Durbin received the Transforming Lives …

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Glen Ellyn's Bridge Communities Receives $50,000 Grant from The Allstate Foundation

The nonprofit was one of 85 nonprofits from across the country to apply to receive funding.

Bridge Communities was one of 14 nonprofits chosen to receive grant funding from The Allstate Foundation. A total of 85 organizations applied for the grant money. The Glen Ellyn-based nonprofit, which provides transitional housing to those in need, was awarded $50,000 from the foundation. In conjunction with its 60th anniversary, The Allstate Foundation recently held a summit in Chicago where nonprofits were given the opportunity to develop a grant program to make the organizations more effective. Bridge Communities will use the funds toward digital development to improve and enhance its Transitional Housing Program Information System, according to Bridge Communities. “Bridge Communities is honored to have been selected as a recipient of …

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Library Hosts Panel Discussion on Homelessness

A panel discussion will be held at the library Saturday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

From the Glen Ellyn Public Library The Glen Ellyn Public Library will host “Homelessness: A Community Concern,” on Saturday, January 12, from 1:30-­3:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room on the library’s first floor. A panel of representatives from DuPage PADS Inc, NAMI, Bridge Communities, and the Glen Ellyn Public Library will present information regarding the homeless population in and around the Glen Ellyn community. “Homelessness can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons: illness, medical debt, poor credit, bankruptcy issues, low income, underemployment,” says Library Director Dawn Bussey. “We welcome the Glen Ellyn community to come and learn more about this issue.” The panel will address questions and concerns for program attendees. For …

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Save the Date: 6th Annual Garage Party to Benefit Bridge Communities

About 400 people are expected to attend the annual event, which raises thousands of dollars and is a break from the winter blahs.

Getting around DuPage County can be a challenge for those without a car, since public transportation isn’t that accommodating. To assist some of those in need of a safe, reliable vehicle, Bridge Communities helps provide repairs and safe vehicles to homeless families in need in DuPage County. Later this month, Bridge Builders, a group of community volunteers who are dedicated to helping Bridge Communities, will host the 6th annual Garage Party to benefit Bridge Communities’ Auto Donation Program. The nonprofit partners with Village Garage & Tire to ensure that vehicles Bridge families use are safe. The organization budgets $35,000 annually to the auto repairs fund, said Margo Matthew, Bridge Communities director of grants. The funds raised…

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Thank You To Sleep Out Saturday Participants

Glen Ellyn Patch welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be sent for consideration to Local Editor Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com.

Dear Editor: Thank you to the 1,500 wonderful people who on November 3rd made a statement about homelessness by sleeping out in tents, boxes and cars to raise awareness of the growing problem of homeless families.  Sleep Out Saturday is sponsored by Bridge Communities, the largest provider of transitional housing in DuPage County, serving 100 families each year. People from faith-based, community, corporate and family groups braved a cold night and experienced homelessness firsthand.  I slept outside in my car with my grandson Nathan and granddaughter Olivia, while their younger siblings Claire and Ashley stayed indoors with their parents in a simulation of a homeless shelter.  Our church, Good Shepherd in Naperville, made sure we were all…

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More than 1,500 Ready to Sleep Out Saturday for Bridge Communities

In its ninth year, Sleep Out Saturday is the largest fundraiser for Bridge Communities. The nonprofit hopes to raise $130,000.

So far this year, the number of calls Bridge Communities has received from people in need of assistance has surpassed the total number of calls the Glen Ellyn nonprofit received in 2011. While many of those who call the nonprofit for information do not qualify for the organization’s transitional housing program, the fact that 1,900 calls were made speaks to the difficulties many DuPage County residents are experiencing. Bridge Communities provides a two-year transitional housing program to about 105 families every year. Housing those families costs about $35 per day, said Jenny Gates, manager of special events for Bridge Communities. Saturday, the nonprofit will host its biggest fundraiser of the year, Sleep Out Saturday. About 1,500 …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Backyard BBQ Cook-Off a Sizzlin' Success, Winners Congratulated

Glen Ellyn Patch welcomes letters to the editor. Letters may be submitted to Local Editor Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com.

Dear Editor: From bags to blues to great BBQ, we had a blast!  The 4th Annual Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off was another sizzlin’ success.  Nearly 2,000 people came out on what couldn’t have been a more picture-perfect Saturday.  I am so very grateful for the community’s support of the BBQ, which provides significant funds for Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program for homeless families in DuPage County. The incredibly dedicated volunteers who make the BBQ such a smokin’ good time year after year deserve my heart-felt gratitude: Tom “Pig Daddy” Koprowski, Greg Bane, Chip Miller, Tom Nelson, Bob Solak, Kirk and Emmarie Burger, Lori Urick, Steve Stewart and Amy Thompson. BBQ-goers enjoyed an afternoon of some of Chicagoland’s …

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Wonderful Wednesday

Backyard BBQ Building Community, Bridges for Those in Need

The fourth annual Glen Ellyn Backyard BBQ Cook-Off will be held Saturday in downtown Glen Ellyn. The event benefits Bridge Communities.

What started off as a block party has grown into an annual community event benefitting local nonprofit Bridge Communities. Glen Ellyn’s fourth annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off was the idea of a small group who hoped it would draw people downtown. It started off small as a block party, but the group found residents were interested in the barbecue festival. Now the event, being held Saturday, will draw more than 1,000 people to Glen Ellyn’s downtown. “We had three goals,” said Tom "Pig Daddy" Koprowski, one of the event’s founders. “One was to create foot traffic for our downtown. To promote and help a charity and Bridge is respected in the community. And, to provide a fun environment for the community.” The event will have 46 teams competing in…

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Save the Date: Glen Ellyn's Backyard BBQ Sept. 8

Bridge Communities 4th annual Backyard BBQ will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 8.

Submitted by Bridge Communities Glen Ellyn’s Backyard BBQ Cook-Off returns for a fourth year of food, fun and festivity in a relaxed, downhome atmosphere.  Glen Ellyn’s 4th Annual Backyard BBQ Cook-Off Competition takes place Saturday, Sept. 8 in the Glenwood Avenue lot in downtown Glen Ellyn.  The event is open to the public from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and there is no cost to attend.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs, relax, and hang out for the afternoon.   “What started in 2009 as a small, block-party-like BBQ contest for a bunch of amateurs with a love of BBQ and delusions of grandeur has grown to a full blown event in downtown Glen Ellyn,” says Bob Solak, Bags Tournament Coordinator for the 2012 BBQ.  Both amateur and …

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Wonderful Wednesday

Alicia Rasnic: Helping Families Grow a Healthy Future

Alicia Rasnic began volunteering with Bridge Communities five years ago. She recently helped supervise the creation of a new garden at a Bridge-owned apartment complex.

Alicia Rasnic loves to garden. Her experience out in the garden played a key role in a new project Bridge Communities started earlier this summer. Rasnic, a long-time Glen Ellyn resident, began volunteering with Bridge Communities five years ago. She learned about the nonprofit from a friend who invited her to its annual Garden Party.  “Because I was retired, I wanted something to get involved with, and Bridge seemed to be a really good opportunity,” Rasnic said. When she signed up to volunteer with Bridge Communities, Rasnic was asked to participate on the development committee doing outreach in the community to raise awareness of the nonprofit and secure donations and support from area businesses. Over the years she has participated in a…

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Bridge Communities

8:59 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story about Alicia! She is such a dedicated, hard-working volunteer and a beautiful person. We are so grateful to have her on our team!   more ›