Frequently Asked Questions
 

Resting & Transitioning Worker FAQ

 

Q.  What is the difference between helping people through Bridges & Balm compared to giving money directly to those resting or transitioning workers?

A. First, we encourage you to continue supporting individuals directly as you feel moved. However, Bridges & Balm is different in a variety of ways compared to individual support:

• Assisting through Bridges & Balm enables you to support the resting and transitioning worker community with a broad, holistic view of their needs for equitable distributions.  We collaborate with workers or their advocates to determine their financial status and complement the income of those that need assistance on an ongoing monthly basis. 

•  Bridges & Balm volunteers can provide resting and transitioning workers or their advocates the ability to comfortably communicate their needs and provide updates as their needs change. We hope to reduce economic and overall uncertainty for resting and transitioning workers through a structured, predictable, and empathetic process.  

• Donations through Bridges & Balm are tax exempt resulting in an approximately 25-30% increase in the funds available to workers and CSA/SA survivors. 

• If you already support a resting or transitioning worker on a periodic ongoing basis and wish to continue doing so through Bridges & Balm , you can use the “Individual Worker Recommendation” preference on the Donate page to identify that individual by name. We will use your donation to assist that worker as their needs dictate.  Please click here for more information on our “Individual Worker Recommendation” policies.

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Bridges & Balm provides an equitable funding process and a set of transparent, published, and standardized guidelines for determining resting and transitioning workers' financial needs helps to provide fair and equitable living conditions.  Workers or their advocates will be guided by the website or Bridges & Balm volunteers to document their living expenses, any current income, and compute any financial shortfalls. 

 

Q. How does the assistance amount for transitioning workers get established?

A. Transitioning worker assistance usually involves supplementing or covering the costs of specific activities or needs on a one-time basis, although there can be exceptions to that model. Assistance to transitioning workers can also include living expenses, transportation costs, healthcare costs, etc.

For transitioning workers who have recently left the work, the Transitioning Worker Needs Survey is designed to identify and prioritize transitioning goals. We understand that newly-transitioning workers may need assistance in projecting their anticipated living expenses. Bridges & Balm can provide general information regarding typical costs for rent, utilities, food, and other categories as a guide for workers as they make their initial projections.

​Once the above survey is completed or if you are a transitioning worker who has been out of the work for awhile and have specific items or goals you would like help in funding, the Transitioning Worker Funding Survey will help us understand your more detailed financial needs.  We will then work with you directly to establish the assistance amount and frequency.

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Q. Does this eliminate the need for people in the fellowship or the ministry to support resting workers?

A. No. The resting and transitioning worker fund provides an ongoing external funding mechanism, independent of the ministry, that complements income that resting workers already receive to provide for their basic living expenses.  

 

Q. What if I already contribute to a worker  and want to use Bridges & Balm to support that worker instead?

A. If you already periodically contribute to a specific resting or transitioning worker and wish to transfer that contribution over to Bridges & Balm, please use the “Individual Worker Recommendation” option on the Donor page and check the “In Lieu of White Envelope Contribution” box.  That will enable us to adjust the income portion of their budget calculation appropriately.

 

Q. Why shouldn't the ministry alone be responsible for funding resting and transitioning workers?

A. With Bridges & Balm, we aim to supplement the care already provided to the ministers. We also want to ensure that the care to the workers is equitable, so we can fill in gaps to the extent they exist. 

 

Q. What if a resting worker isn't comfortable asking for money? 

A. We realize that resting and transitioning workers are often reluctant to reach out and request financial assistance from anyone, especially a charity. In these cases, a close friend or relative can advocate for them by contacting Bridges & Balm and helping us to get the information needed to assess their financial situation & establish their assistance level.  If you know of a resting or transitioning worker who may be in need and you can advocate for them to help us understand their budget and assistance needs, please contact us through any of the methods listed on the Resting/Transitioning Worker web page.

 

Q. What if a resting worker is uncomfortable using the website or online tools?  

A. Workers that are uncomfortable with working online can call us at (510) 626-0788 and leave us a message with your contact information. We will then contact you and walk you or your advocate through the process of determining your financial needs.

 

Q. If there is a worker in need, can I help them anonymously?

A. All donations to Bridges & Balm are anonymous unless the donor checks the “Donor Name on Website” box on the donation page.  By defining worker donation preferences, donors can steer funds toward workers in specific situations, or even recommend the donation be made to a specific worker.  If a donor wants to monitor what Bridges & Balm is doing for a specific worker with a donation they recommended for that worker, we can do that. 

 

Q. If a worker has been removed or resigned because of SA or CSA allegations,  would they be eligible for assistance from Bridges & Balm? 

A. No. Resting/transitioning workers with reasonably substantiated allegations of abuse are not eligible for assistance from Bridges & Balm.  Please see the full list of resting/transitioning worker assistance policies here.

 

CSA/SA FAQ

 

Q. Why would CSA Survivors come to Bridges & Balm rather than other therapy funds that are available?

A. When survivors have multiple options, they should pursue the option that makes them the most comfortable. Bridges & Balm endeavors to ensure we follow an ethical, survivor-centric process for getting them care. However, we are not competitors —  we simply hope all survivors are able to receive the much-deserved care they need.

 

Q. Does Bridges & Balm accept money from the ministry to help fund CSA/SA survivors?

A. No. We have mutually agreed with the workers that it’s best for Bridges & Balm to not receive funding from assets given to workers. This is primarily to ensure Bridges & Balm is able to operate without potential conflicts of interest in our operations. 

 

Q. Do people need to be in certain regions to be supported by Bridges & Balm?

A. Bridges & Balm will support any survivor anywhere within the US. Currently, Bridges & Balm is unable to provide assistance to survivors and workers that reside outside of the US. 

 

Q. Do you require survivors to identify themselves to Bridges & Balm staff in order to support them with therapy requests?

A. No.  Bridges & Balm anonymously directs all survivors to engage directly with a third party, who does the evaluation and establishes a plan for care for the individual. The third party or the therapist then invoices Bridges & Balm to pay for the therapy for the individual.

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General Bridges & Balm Operations Q&A

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Q. What criteria or qualifications will be used to determine a seat on the board?  

A. The Bridges & Balm board consists of 5-10 men and women representing a cross-section of the fellowship. Board members include those with specific skills relevant to ongoing operation of the charity, as well as those who understand the difficulties of meeting living needs on a limited budget. Board members commit to serve 1-2 years and should expect an ongoing time commitment of 4-8 hours/month on average. 

 

Q. Can anyone apply for board membership?

A. Anyone with a love for God, the 2 and 2 ministry, the fellowship and a desire to help resting workers and CSA/SA victims/survivors can be a Bridges & Balm advisor or board member.  Board members and advisors are not required to be active members of the fellowship. Membership to the board requires a majority vote of the current Board of Directors. All Bridges & Balm board members are voluntary and uncompensated.

The Bridges & Balm Bylaws define the terms and conditions of our operations and can be reviewed here.

 

Q Will you be able to report on the number of survivors or workers who you have helped? 

A. Yes, this isn't set up yet but the assistance metrics will be displayed on the Bridges & Balm website in the future.

 

Q If I want to help Bridges & Balm, how can I do that?  

A. There are a variety of ways that you can help to support our mission. Donating, serving as an advocate for a resting/transitioning worker, serving as an independent third party, serving on the Board or as an advisor to the Board or communicating our mission to others by directing them to our website are all ways you can help. Please send us a message at the Contact Us link below, email bridgesandbalm.org or call us at (510) 626-0788 if you have ideas for assisting our mission in other ways  or if you have additional questions about how you can help.