We are almost one year old!
As we enter the holiday season - a time when thoughts turn to family, gift-giving, and year-end finances - we're mindful of our broader fellowship family, particularly those who need our support most. Specifically, we think of those resting and transitioning workers and survivors who are in financial and emotional need for a variety of reasons. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are a particularly difficult time for people struggling with mental health and/or who feel isolated. Your direct outreach, “thinking of you” notes, and financial support are vital in providing both immediate relief and long-term hope.
Supplementing our traditionally informal support systems are the very reason that Bridges & Balm was established. Since we began in February 2024, we've made significant strides in fulfilling our mission. We've reached out to over 70 resting or transitioning workers and their advocates, providing crucial support to those who might otherwise fall through the cracks of traditional fellowship assistance. Our focus remains on helping with basic living expenses and therapy costs, often collaborating with other survivor charities to maximize our impact.This assistance has had a real impact on the wellbeing of our recipients.
We are Better Together
Here's what your donations to Bridges & Balm have accomplished so far:
Six transitioning workers have received critical short term financial and emotional assistance to recover from medical emergencies, trauma triggers, and unexpected financial challenges. Assistance in their time of need provides a lifeline to recovery rather than sinking deeper into a physical, medical and financial quagmire from which they may never recover. We are pleased to report that every one of our six transitioning workers are now well on their way to self sufficiency and recovery, both financially and emotionally.
Four resting workers receive ongoing assistance to meet basic living expenses, complementing other sources of support to ensure stable, dignified lives.These assistance commitments are typically long term and are determined by the budget worksheet on the Bridges and Balm website. It is heartwarming to see the thankfulness from resting workers for removing financial stress from their daily lives.
Five survivors are making significant progress through funded therapy programs. Since most survivors are anonymous, we review survivor progress via their therapists or advocates and renew therapy funding for six month terms. With recent changes at AFTT and WANIDAK, we anticipate a significant increase in demand for survivor support in 2025.
From a financial perspective, as of the beginning of December, we have disbursed over $65,000 to those in need since we began operations. Two thirds of our assistance went to resting / transitioning workers (living expenses & therapy) and one third to fund therapy for survivors, and as mentioned above, we see survivor assistance increasing dramatically in 2025. Bridges & Balm has raised over $72,000 in donations in 2024 and we deeply appreciate every donation, whether it's large or small. Virtually all of our donations are via our website as we don’t accept funding from the ministry. We especially appreciate our recurring donors because they provide us with a more consistent income base that assists in our ongoing planning. Based on our current assistance levels, we believe cumulative donations will need to reach $80-90,000 by year-end to avoid putting some of the approved assistance disbursements on hold.
Operational costs are less than 4.5% of donations and include one-time startup costs, insurance premiums, state and federal compliance fees, website charges and credit card fees. All staff are voluntary and uncompensated, so all expenses relate to direct costs of operations.
Looking forward to 2025, we are focused on three key initiatives:
Expanding Our Reach: One of the biggest challenges of a small charity is expanding awareness. Through enhanced social media presence, email campaigns, and fellowship community outreach, we aim to raise $150,000 to support U.S.-based recipients.
Developing an International Assistance Platform: While Bridges & Balm is not set up to directly assist resting/transitioning workers and survivors in other countries, we are working on providing a platform on our website where donors can donate directly to those needing assistance internationally. Please stay tuned for further developments in this area.
Collaborating Strategically With Other Survivor Charities: We can accomplish more if we cooperate and collaborate with other charities to match skill sets and resources. In some cases, initiatives that are too large for a single charity can be undertaken by collaboration between multiple charities.
How You Can Help
Here are some immediate actions you can take that help us help others:
Visit our website to make a tax-deductible donation
Set up a monthly recurring gift to provide sustained support
Share our mission with your fellowship community
Reach out to those who might need our services
Your Impact: Every donation, whether large or small, helps build bridges of support in our community. When you give to Bridges & Balm, you're not just providing financial assistance—you're offering hope, dignity, and a path forward for those who need it most.
The holiday season presents unique challenges for our community members who are alone, facing financial hardship, or dealing with trauma. Your year-end donations can make an immediate difference while potentially qualifying for tax benefits. We hope you will support us in our goal to help those with unmet needs in our fellowship community.
Whether you're someone seeking assistance or in a position to help, we welcome your connection with Bridges & Balm. If you are a resting / transitioning worker or survivor who needs assistance or just a sympathetic ear, please contact us. If you are someone who has the means to contribute, please visit the donate page on the Bridges & Balm website. Even if you cannot donate at this time, you can make a meaningful impact by spreading awareness of our mission within your meetings, among friends and family, and throughout the fellowship community.
Thank you for being part of this vital mission to support our most vulnerable community members.
The Bridges & Balm Team
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