Together We Made a Change!

Thank you to everyone who donated to and participated in Sleep Out Saturday 2011!  Working together, over 1,500 kids, teens and adults raised thousands of dollars to help the homeless families in Bridge Communities' Transitional Housing Program cross the bridge to self-sufficiency.  We couldn't have done it without you!

You slept in boxes.  You slept in cars.  You slept in tents.  You held bake sales.  You held garage sales.  You went door to door collecting donations.  You sent emails encouraging people to donate.  You told your friends and family about your mission.  You encouraged them to get involved.

YOU MADE A CHANGE!

You - our Program Partners, our donors, our supporters - are the reason behind Bridge's success.

It's never too late to get involved.  To find out how you can help homeless families in DuPage County throughout the year, or to make a donation, please visit Bridge Communities' web site.

THANK YOU!

Learn Fundraising Tips from a Real Sleep Out Saturday STAR!

Brittney Wells was only eight years old the first time she participated in Sleep Out Saturday last year. Her mom and dad – Karen and Rundy – had learned about Sleep Out Saturday when her mom spoke at a Bridge Communities luncheon. The family decided to participate in the sleep out to help raise funds and awareness to help homeless families in DuPage County.

“Having a goal really motivated me,” Brittney recalls. “And after I found out that the average age of a homeless person is eight years old, and that’s how old I was, I wanted to help out.”

The determined fourth grader went door to door, asking neighbors for donations. When Brittney surpassed her original $500 goal, she quickly adjusted her aim toward $800…and then $1,000. In all, Brittney raised $1,076 to help Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program!

“At first it was kind of shocking to hear that the average age of a homeless child in DuPage County,” Brittney shared. “It really motivated me to help and go around and collect money.

“Last year, [sleeping out] really helped me to understand how families facing homelessness felt when they had no place to stay and it’s cold out. It felt kind of life changing. It made me look at homelessness from a whole new perspective.

“I really enjoy it and wanted to donate money to help the homeless. I really like to help people,” Brittney says with a smile.

Beaming mom Karen Wells couldn’t be more proud.

“It was definitely a life-changing experience, to say the least,” she grinned.

With confidence from last year’s fundraising efforts, Brittney has set her sights on an even loftier goal for 2012: $2,000; her family’s total goal is $5,000.

“Donating money and helping out, that is a way of life for us,” says Brittney’s dad, Rundy. “We need our children to understand that and to help out. We will continue to volunteer for great causes like that of the Bridge Communities. We need to expose our kids, especially because we are so blessed.”

You’re probably wondering how an active, nine year old, full-time student hopes to raise $2,000. Brittney’s got a plan well under way.

“Last year I went around my neighborhood knocking on doors, asking people to donate,” Brittney explains. “This year, I had a yard sale, a bake sale, and a movie night…and I was able to raise over $500 [so far].” She started fundraising in the summer, and with a few weeks left to go before Sleep Out Saturday on November 5th, Brittney’s confident she will reach – and maybe even surpass – her goal.

If nine year old Brittney can do it, so can you! Get creative with your Sleep Out Saturday fundraising. Or follow her lead – clean out your closets and hold a garage sale, get a few friends together and host a bake sale, charge admission for a special family fun night. If you’re creative, make and sell crafts. Create pledge challenges among friends to generate a competitive giving spirit. If you are already part of a registered Group, you can create your own fundraising page within that group. If you haven’t already registered, you can register as an individual Sleep Out Star.

The opportunities are endless, and the need is real. Through Sleep Out Saturday, you can MAKE A CHANGE in the lives of homeless families in DuPage County. Please DO.

Register. Donate. Make a Change. http://www.sleepoutsaturday.org/

Questions? Contact Jennie Gates at (630) 545-0610 ext. 19 or jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org.

Text to Give Your Support to Sleep Out Saturday

Want to support Sleep Out Saturday, Bridge Communities’ largest awareness and fundraiser, but find yourself short on money or time?

Text BRIDGE to 20222, and you’ll instantly donate $10 to your favorite charity – Bridge Communities. It’s quick and easy, allowing you to make a change in someone’s life with a few taps of your keypad.

If you’re feeling even more generous, go to http://www.sleepoutsaturday.org/ to register yourself or your group to participate and run your own mini fundraising campaign! Or check out the other groups and individuals who are sleeping out and pledge to their campaigns.

With one small step, you can MAKE A CHANGE in the lives of homeless families in DuPage County!

A Pastor's Perspective

Good Shepherd Church’s Pastor Glen Wagner reflects on Sleep Out Saturday

Good Shepherd Church members
prepare for Sleep Out Saturday

Last year was our first year for Sleep Out Saturday. I think it will be our first of many. We had about 80 kids and about 20 adults. As a church, we are oriented to getting out and what we would say being the hands of feet of Jesus, so our church is very involved into rebuilding Aurora, sending people on mission trips, Hesed House... Sometimes we get 20 people involved, sometimes we can get 300 people involved. So [Sleep Out Saturday] is right in the middle zone.

I wouldn’t say I slept out – I would say I was out (laughingly)!

I think I probably did get about 30 minutes of sleep, which was interesting, because I thought about, “How do people do this day in and day out?” Sooner or later, everybody has to get some sleep, whether you’re homeless or not.

…actually laying down and going to sleep, I had this big green tarp that I wrapped myself into a sleeping bag and pulled the tarp over. You can hear everything, and you can feel every gust of wind, and it just wasn’t easy getting to sleep, but I was out there trying. You know, I was on a little pad, and had a sleeping bag, and had this tarp that I rolled up in. Some of them have tents, some have boxes, and I have seen some homeless people who don’t have either one of those.

Sleeping Out

I was moved by 80 high school kids saying, “Yes, I will willingly give up my Saturday because I want to learn about this…I want to learn about something.” That always moves me when kids take something seriously like that when they don’t have to; that’s really cool.

We had adults going around the parking lot for security, and realized that everything we’re doing, though we’re sleeping out, we’re still doing things that most homeless people don’t.

Most homeless people do not have a security guard walking around their tent, so about every hour I was learning three or four things…

We had a couple of families that did this as a family – Mum, Dad, 2 or 3 kids, younger kids – and throughout the night, Mum or Dad had to wake up to find the bathroom which we provided inside the church, and I thought, “OK, if you’re homeless where do you go to the bathroom?”



Even kids can make a change

 Then in the morning to see all these people stumbling around, looking for a place to brush their teeth and comb their hair…so literally 12 hours of immersion in this experience, and you realize that this is radically different from anything; there’s a whole list of things to be without, not just a roof, so it just sort of tears you up.

You know, it was tough and also good. As a church, we try and do things that connect with real people and try to be kind of authentic, and if there are loose edges, that’s just part of life; we don’t try and box it up. So I said, “Well, there are some homeless people who are employed and they have to get up the next morning and go to work.” So I thought, “OK, I’m going to get up and go to work,” and I led two services here, and I kind of prepared my message between 5 a.m. and 9 o’clock, and I think I said that morning, “I don’t know how this is going to come out; it might sound like the ramblings of a crazy man, as I haven’t had too much sleep, but here’s what I was thinking.” We were in the series on God’s Tapestry and how he weaves throughout our lives, and my particular topic that morning was the hiddeness of God. So, it was appropriate to lay there during the night and think, “Yeah, where’s God for the average homeless person? How does God work in something like this? Where is God in this?” So, that’s what I tried to talk about.

Sleep Out Saturday was very moving…it made a major impact, and it rippled throughout the church, and many people caught the vision, and this year I think we will have more people out there, and we really want to build on that, because yes, it made a huge impact on the kids.

Could you do it?
Could you NOT do it?

I don’t think I could not sleep out. One of the strategies for me, I didn’t just do it because I have such a great big heart; I also did it because it helps identify with the rest of the group that’s part of it. I was able to say I was out there, and for the kids it was important for the kids to say Pastor Glen was out there with us.

I wouldn’t miss it this year because it just taught me a lot and in the process it taught me a lot of things. This is not a Republican problem, a Democratic problem, a Christian problem, this is a human problem, and if we are Christians, part of what that means is to do things out of love for people you might not even know, so this gives us an opportunity to do something that might change something.

It started out fun, and it started out as a cool community thing to do, and then seeing a couple of groups in their cardboard boxes praying together and kind of talking … seeing their hearts transformed, and then to see those same kids sharing at the microphone and saying, this was really life transforming. Just to see the process of people’s lives transforming before your eyes, I will never get tired of that.

The other thing was actually waking up and going to work. And I think there are some homeless people who are working but they still can’t get out of their homelessness, so how do you do that for 5, 6, 7 days a week, because I was tired, I was a little bit angry, not at anyone in particular just there was just this little anger thing. To get up on this stage and try to minister to people and want to shake people, and then realize, “Stop it, stop it, just 24 hours ago you didn’t have a clue either,” so being in the moment when you’ve learned something and you want to help other people catch that vision and realize you have to do that slowly, thoughtfully, lovingly to see in my own heart barriers to what I didn’t see 24 hours before I started, it was a major “Ah ha!”

I would say as carefully as I can [to other ministers who won’t do Sleep Out Saturday] that it’s spiritual malpractice not to do this. It’s bad. Jesus regularly got out of his comfort zone. He broke ethnic barriers, age barriers, gender barriers, theological barriers to move out to include people into his radius of care, and for us to be in the suburbs, which is not necessarily a bad thing, and realize that maybe 1 out of 20, 1 out of 10 people around us are experiencing something like that and not doing something about that is really saying I think I want to put blinders on, and any church that does that…

You Can Make a Change!

I can’t think of a better way to keep your church passionate, loving, caring, to keep your hearts tender toward God, than to have your heart broken by the things that break God’s heart. I can’t think of a better way to do that than to say to folks, “Let’s grab your sleeping bags and let’s sleep in the parking lot on Saturday night.” Because not one of the 100 people had anything bad to say. Every single one of them said, wow, that was hard, inconvenient, and I’m so glad I did it, it changed my life.

If churches are in the life changing business then to avoid this is not a good thing. It’s doable. November is peak busy season for churches. You’re just getting ready to head into Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas and all that stuff. We were super busy, but because we did Sleep Out, it added something to our message for the next several weeks, months, it helped transform ministries. It brought vision in.

Jesus said you’ve got to care for the least of these, and I can’t think of a better example.

Sleep Out Saturday. Make a change.

How Homelessness Happens

Justyn

Nine years ago, Belinda Bowen and her two sons, Justyn and Jordyn, were homeless, living in hotels, living with friends -- and even living in her car. She did not foresee that one day she would be speaking publicly about homelessness: a word all-too-familiar to her just years ago.

Belinda was known as “the caregiver” of her family, taking care of her relatives, her kids, her household. Within three years, she felt like she lost it all. Her parents and three aunts all became ill, and Belinda cared for each of them until their deaths.

In the meantime, Belinda learned she had Type II Diabetes. She was also caring for her two sons, both of whom were constantly in the hospital because of heart illness. With so much going on, “It was hard to keep a job,” she said.

Jordyn

While jobs came and went, Belinda’s finances tightened. She was evicted from her apartment and, for several months, she and her sons stayed wherever they could, spending nights in hotels, in their car, and with friends.

“I felt like I had failed everybody,” she said. “I failed my boys as a mom, not being able to provide an adequate home for them. I was so disappointed and ashamed.”

Through all her struggles, however, she never lost her faith. In 2003, a friend told Belinda about Bridge Communities. Within two months, Belinda and her sons were accepted into Bridge’s Transitional Housing Program, found a church to sponsor them, and were provided an apartment to call home.

“It was God’s way of lifting us up and placing us where He knew we needed to be,” she reflected.

Belinda recalled her counselor asking her to come see an apartment that they might be able to provide for her, and, when she arrived, she was greeted with a “Welcome Home” basket and the apartment keys.

“I will never forget that day,” she said. “Words can’t describe the looks on my sons’ faces when they found out we would have a place to live.”

During her time with Bridge Communities, Belinda developed a close relationship with her mentors and case manager. She was deeply touched by the love they showed to Justyn, Jordyn and her. Almost immediately, this motivated her to give back; Belinda organized an outreach community, in which local women gathered to cook meals for the homeless.

Belinda graduated from Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program after two years.

“Bridge will not only have a place in my heart, but a place in my life,” Belinda said. “I share my story with everyone. I have friends who hear it and donate to this organization, and I also have friends who hear it and are inspired to seek help like I did.”



A new life for Belinda and her boys

Belinda had always dreamed of living in a three bedroom home with a front yard. Now, with help from her Bridge case manager and a local church, Belinda has accomplished this dream.
Belinda and her sons, both of whom currently attend college, shared their story of their journey through homelessness during past Sleep Out Saturdays; you can experience their story online at http://youtu.be/mFFbaIDdF50. 

One year after graduating from the Bridge program, Belinda and her sons did their own “Sleep Out Saturday” and brought blankets and pillows to sleep in their car for the night.

“Not long ago, we thought our car was all we thought we’d know for a long time,” she said. “When we got in the car to ‘Sleep Out,’ we were appreciative of the purpose of Bridge and all they had done for us.”

Now a career woman and volunteer, Belinda shares her story with others as a motivational speaker. If you are interested in inviting Belinda to speak with your group, please contact Jennie at jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org. 

Join us at the SOS Rally on November 5th at 505 Crescent Blvd. in downtown Glen Ellyn. The Rally is open to the public and free of charge.

Want to do more? Enroll your group or family in Sleep Out Saturday. It will be a life changing experience for you, and for the families you help. To learn more, visit the Sleep Out Saturday web site or contact Jennie at jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org.

Interview with a Homeless Advocate

Diane Nilan is passionately committed to giving homelessness a face and a voice. Diane is the founder of HEAR US Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to giving voice and visibility to homeless children and youth. She travels across the United States to raise awareness of and sensitivity to homelessness to inspire others to take action to ease and end it.

Bridge Communities was fortunate to spend a few minutes with Diane earlier this week to discuss issues surrounding homelessness and how she feels Sleep Out Saturday can make an impact.

Bridge Communities: What do you think is the biggest misconception about the homeless?
Diane Nilan: Without a doubt, the biggest misconception about homelessness is the lack of understanding lack of awareness of that. Everywhere I go, the stereotype of the bedraggled guy on the street corner is predominant. That is exactly what everyone’s perception of homelessness is. Sadly, that’s one that people are OK with dismissing. Certainly when audiences find out that women, children and youth are every bit as homeless as the guys on the street corners, it really registers as a shock to most people.

BC: How do you think we can change people’s opinions about the homeless?
DN: The one thing that I’ve seen that has made a profound change in peoples’ perceptions is when they see the faces and hear the voices of people that are experiencing homelessness, which is at the heart of what I’ve been doing for the past 6+ years – to let people see the videos* “My Own Four Walls” and “on the edge,” because they hear from the experts. They realize that the misconceptions they’ve had have kept them from understanding the scope of homelessness that hits every community across the country. The one thing we can do is get faces and voices out to be seen and heard.

BC: What are the biggest obstacles in accomplishing this?
DN: Sadly, obstacles include the lack of awareness in Congress and in our State Houses about the breadth and depth of homelessness. Most of the legislators I’ve talked to over the years are totally unaware of homelessness as it affects families and youth. That is a huge barrier. Within our communities, the elected officials all the way down to the township level don’t realize how little the safety net is in their community. Once they recognize that and realize how easy it is to become homeless and how hard it is to get out of homelessness, with a little mix of compassion, we can start to change that.

The other reality is that, especially with families, the cost of housing, the lack of jobs, the lack of support services – all of those things are real barriers for families experience anything as common as domestic violence or flooded houses. It’s so much easier now for families to become homeless than it ever has been in my 25 years working in this field.

BC: How do you feel Sleep Out Saturday helps?
DN: Sleep Out Saturday has grown to be a huge awareness raising event. One of the things that I’ve seen and heard about is the fact that when people experience one night of discomfort, that is at least a small sample of what homeless families might go through, I think they start realizing, “How could you then get up in the morning and go about getting your life back together?” It makes the discomfort of homelessness a lot more tangible. So then people start looking at homelessness differently. It gives more of the depth of the experience.

I’ve heard lots of good things from members of the faith communities that participate. There’s kind of been an enthusiastic pride in saying “Hey, I did this.” And I’ve heard comments that convey solidarity. That’s a very powerful feeling that really opens the door for a lot more involvement.

BC: Why do you think people should participate in SOS?
DN: Solidarity. The concept of walking in somebody’s shoes – even for a little while – makes you aware, makes you mindful. Once you’re mindful, you start noticing homelessness in the community and you start being aware that even in affluent DuPage County, homelessness is a huge problem.

BC: How could your movie, “on the edge,” help prepare people for Sleep Out Saturday?
DN: Of the many things that it does, “on the edge” will remove the stereotypes that typically serve as barriers for people getting involved in an issue that is almost like the plague for some people – they think they’re going to catch it. Then they hear the stories of the women in “on the edge,” and they realize they are just ordinary women who’ve had some really bad things happen. Once people start realizing that homeless people are just like you and me, they end up wanting to help more.

BC: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
DN: I have heard and read so may negative comments about people in poverty and how they deserve it and don’t deserve any help. What Bridge Communities has done over the years to try to foster a compassion epidemic – because that’s really the solution to the issues we face in our society today – in addition to helping families, I think it also creates a very positive ripple effect in our community. We need that now more than ever. I’m very delighted that Bridge continues to do all of these extra things to try to help the DuPage community become more compassionate.

*Diane’s movies can be purchased online at http://hearus.us/understanding-homelessness/videos.html.

Spread the Word!

Have you registered your group on Sleep Out Saturday’s online pledge site? It’s easy, and it’s fun! Just visit https://www.bridgecommunities.org/sleep-out-saturday/register.html and click on “Register.”


5 Ways to Personalize Your SOS Pledge Page for Impact:

1. Choose a fun name for your group

2. Upload an image that captures your group’s personality

3. Write a special message to your donors about why Sleep Out Saturday is important to YOU

4. Enlist every member of your group to register as a Group Member and they can personalize their own fundraising page under the group’s page:

          a. As Group Leader you will receive an e-mail for you to accept each new group member.

          b. Encourage your Group Members to compete with each other for the highest on-line donations.

5. Challenge each member to set a fundraising goal higher than they’ve done in the past or, if they’ve never participated before, just higher than they think they can attain (set the bar high!)

Once you and your Group members have created your online SOS Pledge Page, use it! Email the link to your church members, family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Post it on Facebook. Write about it in your blog. Encourage everyone you know to read about your group’s participation in Sleep Out Saturday.

You can also include links to Sleep Out Saturday’s YouTube videos so your friends and family can hear first-hand about the impact Bridge Communities makes in people’s lives: http://www.youtube.com/bridgecommunities.

Got questions? Feel free to contact Jennie Gates anytime at (630) 545-0610 ext. 19 or jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org.

Did You Know . . . ?

It’s hard to believe that poverty and homelessness exist in a place like DuPage County. But they do exist, right here in our own backyard. In fact, did you know that…

• The average age of a homeless person in DuPage County is 8 years old? Of the 53,240 DuPage County residents living in poverty, over 60% are children.
• DuPage County had 59,459 people with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level? This is an increase of 14% in just one year.
• One of every 20 people in DuPage County lives in poverty?
• One person making minimum wage ($8.25 per hour) in DuPage County would have to work 2 ½ full-time jobs to be able to afford a rental unit at fair market rates?
• 150,000 DuPage County residents qualify as working poor?
• 1 in 3 homeless people are U.S. veterans?
• During the 2009-2010 school year, 792 homeless students were identified and educated in DuPage County schools, a 10% increase from the previous year?
• Families make up 40% of the country’s homeless?
• It costs $25 to provide one day of housing and service per person in the Bridge Communities program?
• There are more than 1,700 people now living self-sufficiently after completing Bridge Communities’ two-year Transitional Housing Program?
• Most importantly, did you know that you can make a change in the lives of homeless families in DuPage County?

Join us as we sleep out on Saturday, November 5 to raise awareness, raise funds, and raise hope for homeless families in Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program. Sleep Out Saturday is an eye-opening, life-changing event you don’t want to miss. Sleep Out Saturday – make a change!

To learn more or get involved, visit the Sleep Out Saturday web site or contact Jennie Gates at (630) 545-0610, ext. 19 or jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org.

These materials were made available under license from Bridge Communities Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Sources: Heartland Alliance; Illinois Poverty Summit; HUD; Bridge Communities Program statistics; DuPage County Homeless Continuum of Care; 2010 American Community Services Survey; DuPage Federation on Human Services.

It's Time to Sleep Out!

Welcome to the Sleep Out Saturday Blog!

We’re very excited about this year’s Sleep Out Saturday event, which will raise critical funds and awareness to help the homeless families in DuPage that we serve. We hope you’ll come back each week to learn more about Sleep Out Saturday and how you can play a part in helping families cross the bridge from homelessness to self-sufficiency.

Every penny raised by Sleep Out Saturday participants, the majority of whom are young people, is put directly into Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program to impact the lives of the homeless families we serve.

Sponsors play a critical role in making this possible. As with any event, there is overhead with printing materials, signage, and promotional materials to get the word out, and we are able to cover the cost of all overhead through the generosity of our sponsors.

Sleep Out Saturday sponsors align their companies with one of the finest non-profit human service agencies in DuPage County. These generous corporations are solution providers, working together to respond to a critical community issue.

Please join us in supporting and thanking our sponsors, who each play a significant role in improving the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. Together, we can create a bridge to a better future.

Platinum Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:
Advanced Healthcare Associates
Bank of America
Central DuPage Hospital
Glen Ellyn Bank & Trust
Grand Prairie Transit
Harris Bank
Naperville Bank & Trust
Wheaton Bank & Trust

Silver Sponsors:
Community Bank Wheaton/Glen Ellyn
Directions
Nicor
West Suburban Bank

Bronze Sponsors:
Oxford Bank & Trust
Providence Bank
Selden Fox, Ltd.
SportsMed Wheaton Orthopaedics
Suburban Life Publications

This Youth Director Knows "There's No Place Like Home"

Youth Director Jim Best has learned the value of “home” through his ministries and participation in Sleep Out Saturday. “Home is a place where you feel accepted, you feel welcome, you feel loved,” he says. “We participate in SOS to help someone who doesn’t get these feelings because they don’t have a place to live.”

Jim’s involvement in SOS began five years ago while serving as Youth Director at Community United Methodist Church in Naperville. Youth Directors at two surrounding churches suggested that the three churches get involved with SOS together as a community block event.

After relocating to Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles as the Youth Minister, Jim has introduced SOS as a new event to the congregation this year. There is nothing similar to SOS in this area, he says.

“Enthusiasm goes down when teens do the same events year after year. SOS is something new and it gets the kids motivated and excited.”

Jim is eager for the community’s response to Baker’s first SOS. The church is located on a main street in St. Charles and Jim hopes many will see the event and it will perk the interest of other St. Charles and Fox Valley churches so they too can get involved next year.

Jim plans to have his group attend the Rally. “The Rally is a great place for the group to see that hundreds of others are also participating and learn some facts about homelessness.” He likes to take notes on what the speakers say during the Rally and then quizzes the group on the bus ride back about statistics, rewarding each correct answer with hand warmers or warm socks. While planning this year’s activities, Jim recalls his most memorable SOS moment when he planned to have the police come to the Sleep Out site to roust the participants from their boxes and force them to move their belongings from one church parking lot to another church lot. The event was eye opening, he said, and the group learned that for the homeless, their shelters must be moveable.

To build motivation with his group leading up to the event, Jim keeps in constant contact with them and always asks how their preparations are going.

“The group is really fired up,” he says. “They are already collecting boxes and planning crews are meeting to build the shelters.”

As a SOS veteran, Jim advises new leaders to “stick to their guns.”

“Be prepared. Yes it’s going to be cold. Yes it’s going to be a long night,” he says. “But that’s the purpose- to give your group an eye-opening experience and allow them to feel more empathy going through life.”

You too can organize a group to sleep out for Sleep Out Saturday. Contact Jennie at jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org for information on how your group or family can join us and sleep-out to raise awareness and funds to help homeless families.

Register your group and join us at the Rally on November 6th at 6:30 pm at 505 Crescent Blvd in downtown Glen Ellyn.

Support Baker Memorial Methodist Church in their efforts to raise funds for homeless families.

Britney Wants You To Join Sleep Out Saturday

Britney R., age 16, knew little about Sleep Out Saturday when her church youth coordinator asked for her help with it three years ago. Now the team leader for St. Thomas the Apostle in Naperville, Britney is busy planning activities and motivating her teammates for SOS 2010.

“I’ve learned so much from SOS,” Britney says. “I knew homelessness was a problem in other areas but I never thought it was so close to us until I heard the stories of real people who have gone through it.”

While planning this year’s activities, Britney remembers her favorites from past years including: the dependency and trust walk showing how much homeless people have to depend on other people, and a scavenger hunt illustrating how much homeless people have to worry about finding things to wear, somewhere to bathe and food to eat.

“This year’s theme, NO PLACE LIKE HOME, really does show how hard it would be to be homeless,” Britney says. “Home is where you can relax and feel comfortable and it’d be so stressful to be without one.”

Britney hopes to collaborate with 100 of her peers from St. Thomas the Apostle to sleep out this year.

The three-year SOS veteran offers advice to other participants:

• Be open-minded


• Wear warm clothes


• Don’t be shy to meet new people


• Reach out to people for donations, even those who you wouldn’t expect to donate


• Explain what you’ve learned about homelessness in the area when asking for donations


• Tell everyone you know about Text to Donate! Text BRIDGE to 20222 and $10 will automatically be added to your phone bill. It's so easy!

“Anyone can do it,” she says. “SOS draws so many different ages. We have little kids all the way through Grandparents who participate. You learn so much but it is a lot of fun, too. I encourage everyone to get involved.”

Can you take Britney up on her challenge to get involved? Register your group or family at https://bridgecommunities.org/sleep-out-saturday/register.html

Check out this video of a family that was helped by donations received from Sleep Out Saturday.

For more information on Sleep Out Saturday, call Jennie at 630-545-0610, ext. 19.

Great Ideas For Raising More Money For SOS

Can you fundraise to help house a homeless families?

Sleep Out Saturday is a great way to raise some funds for homeless families in our communities. All funds raised are given to Bridge Communities to benefit the families in our transitional housing program.

Create a fundraising page! You can personalize your own fundraising page. Upload your picture and set your fundraising goal! Tell your personal story as to why you participate in Sleep Out Saturday. Once your page is done send it out to potential donors via Twitter, Facebook and email.

Back Stage Pass! This year, Bridge is inviting the Top Three Fundraisers and Groups to a special Back Stage event at the Rally. If you group takes fundraising seriously, you could win:

• VIP Back Stage passes to a pre-Rally party with bandmembers from Flipside and The Mix's on-air DJ Koz
• Autographs and photos with Flipside and Koz
• VIP front row viewing at the Rally
• Invitation to come up on stage during the Rally
• Special post-event recognition in your hometown

Text To Donate! Cool new idea this year.... Text to Donate to Sleep Out Saturday. You can tell all of your friends and family to donate $10 each time they text BRIDGE to 20222. It's really easy. The donation will appear on the donor's phone bill.

Bridge Communities will offer fundraising incentives to groups that raise funds online. Keep an eye on this blog for more incentive information.

Combine your online fundraising with traditional and non-traditional off-line fundraising.

A few suggestions that may help your fund-raising efforts:

• Promote your financial goal in your solicitations. If people know you have a goal, they are more likely to help you with a gift.
• Make a list of everyone you know. Think big and you will be surprised at who will give if you just ask
• Ask for people to make a donation to your efforts in lieu of a holiday or birthday gift.
• Ask your parents to take the pledge form to their workplace. Write a small paragraph about your participation in Sleep Out and attached it to the pledge envelope.
• Take your pledge envelope around the neighborhood.
• Email or post to your Facebook page with a request to donate. Add the link to our video that is posted on YouTube and our website, in your email.
• In lieu of trick-or-treating for candy on Halloween; try to trick-or-treat for Sleep Out Saturday. Bring your pledge form and when they answer the door: “Trick-or-treat for Bridge Communities.” Wear your Sleep Out Saturday t-shirt or hat (pre-event delivery available for purchased t-shirts and/or hats).
• Do you attend a school with a dress code? Ask for a dress down day with a $5 donation to dress down. Add all the proceeds to your Sleep Out Saturday totals.
• Ask for friends to come over for a social gathering, show them the promotional video and ask them to contribute to your efforts.
• Send a follow-up letter/email after you Sleep Out. Add a picture of yourself with your yard sign and/or tent. Or if you don’t Sleep Out, add a picture of yourself at the Rally.
• Send a follow-up acknowledgement letter to everyone you asked – even if they did not contribute. Include how much you were able to raise and how it contributed to the pooled contributions from all our groups. Everyone will appreciate a follow-up and it will help increase your contributions for next year.
• Tell everyone you know about Text to Donate!

Remember that the process of trying to help and raise money is more important that the total amount raised.

Call Jennie at (630) 545-0610, ext. 19 with any questions.

Sleep Out Saturday - Get Involved

Do you want to get involved in a great cause? Sleep Out Saturday is a great opportunity to learn about homelessness in DuPage County in suburban Chicago.

This blog will give you great ideas on how you can get involved and motivate you to recruit a group to participate, fundraise to help homeless families and advocate for the families traumatized by homelessness. .

Just to give you some perspective as you think about participating, here are some recent statistics on homelessness in DuPage County:

• Average age of a homeless person in DuPage County is 8
• Number of children under the age of 5 who live in poverty in DuPage county is 13,143
• 45,000 DuPage County residents live in poverty; 30% are under
  age 5
• 121,000 DuPage County residents qualify as working poor
• $8,000 is the annual salary for a family of 3 living in extreme poverty; more than 17,000 people in DuPage County live in extreme poverty
• The number of people receiving homeless prevention services increased 114.98% from 2001 to 2005

By participating in Sleep Out Saturday, you are in the fight alongside an estimated 1,500 DuPage youth and adult leaders. Collectively, we hope to raise $120,000+ this year which will provide services and opportunities that connect families to a better future.

Thank you for joining Bridge Communities’ Sleep Out Saturday this year. We believe “there’s no place like home” and all children deserve the opportunity to enjoy one.

Regards,

Joyce Hothan
Executive Director
Bridge Communities

Sleep Out Saturday funds 4,000+ housing nights

"I wonder if homeless children ever get used to sleeping in a box or a car, or if they are uncomfortable all the time? Being homeless is very hard, so sometimes people lose hope. I hope homeless people have the courage to make that call (to Bridge Communities)."

These are the reflective words that an 11 year old SOS participant shared the morning after she learn about how it felt to be homeless and spent the night sleeping on the cold, wet ground.

Sleep Out Saturday has the power to move all of us to action. To help our communities become more responsive to the needs of our neighbors and friends.

What will you do make your community a little brighter?

Here are some ideas that we thought of:

When I was hungry…you fed me.

-Keep a list of all the snacks you eat in one week. Figure out how much money you spent on those snacks and give that amount to a charity of your choice.

-Keep track of how much food you and your family throw away for one week. Donate the equivalent to a local food pantry.

-Write down how much money is spent on fast food for a month. Multiply that amount by 12 to get an approximate total of how much is spent for the year.

-Participate in the holiday food baskets that are given through the food pantry at Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter

When I was thirsty…you gave me something to drink.

-We take for granted the convenience of running water. On a designated day, whenever you need a drink of water or need water for cooking, go to the faucet outdoors. Drink only water, no juice, pop or milk for that day.

When I was a stranger…you welcomed me.

-There may be a new family that has moved into your neighborhood or church. Bring a dessert over to their house and introduce yourself.

-At school, observe the new students. Invite a new student to join you during lunch or recess to meet some of your friends.

I was naked…you clothed me.

-Organize a coat drive in October. Collect coats, hats, scarves, mittens, and boots for families who can’t afford to buy those items. Donate them to a local Walk-In Ministry or clothing pantry.

-Organize a back-to-school supply drive in July. Collect notebooks, pencils, folders, crayons, markers and glue sticks. Donate them to Bridge Communities to distribute to children in our homeless housing program.

-Organize a Quarter Fundraiser – collect quarters that can be used by Bridge Communities’ client families to help pay for their laundry. All Bridge apartments have coin-operated laundry facilities.

I was sick…you took care of me.

-Perhaps a neighbor has been sick or is too old to shovel their snow or cut their grass. Volunteer to do that for them and refuse any money for your services.

-Organize a day when all the youth volunteer their services to anyone in the neighborhood who needs help with yard work in the spring. Any money raised can be donated to purchase flowers or trees around a local chosen non-profit, church, school or public building.

I was in prison…you visited me.

-Most of us are not able to visit someone in prison. A group could collect books and donate them to the county jail. If there is a juvenile facility in your area, perhaps you could donate sweatshirts and pants.

-Older people living in nursing homes sometimes feel forgotten. Organize a day to play BINGO or other games with the seniors. Bring prizes to hand out. Have a group sing-a-long.

Thank you to everyone that helped make Sleep Out Saturday such a great event. Please watch this video to learn how your contributions of time, talents and treasures are helping Bridge families every day.

Please share with us how Sleep Out Saturday motivated you to help those in your community. No act of kindness or sacrifice is too small.

Blessings to you and your for a safe and happy holiday season.

Walking Alongside Them

Just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings. – Elie Wiesel

Ten years as a Bridge Communities mentor has taught Hinsdale resident Mary MacKenzie that the most important part of mentoring is making sure people know that they are not alone.

She understands that this role requires both a financial and emotional pledge. It also requires a great deal of time. Currently, Mary and a friend are walking alongside Mary's fourth client through a community group at Christ Church of Oak Brook.

As part of the Bridge Communities program, each client family is paired with a mentor team for the duration of their participation in the Bridge program. Although it helps reinforce the respectful nature of the relationship, the term "client" sounds brazenly indifferent when contrasted against the tone of deep empathy and love with which mentors, like Mary, speak of the families. "I've always had moms," Mary mentions as she fondly describes her four clients, "They're great people who just need some help."

Meetings, phone calls, and crisis interventions are the true work of a mentor like Mary. "It's mostly just being there for the client... Letting them know that they can depend on you."

Knowing that they have support empowers clients to change their lives. At the end of two years, most clients have graduated from the program. That is what Mary says is the greatest reward: "seeing them continue on and becoming successful."

Mary described one of those amazing moments. She says "one of the highs of being a mentor" was watching her second client purchase a condo in the complex. "She burst out sobbing, realizing she'd be able to own it. I just held her and told her, 'You deserve it.' And that's what Bridge does for people."

For Mary, being a mentor is a rewarding and a surprising path, but it is not one without challenges. Mary knows, though, that if ever an obstacle may arise, she has Bridge Communities to look to. "They're always there," Mary says confidently, "to back us up and to give us advice."

Overcoming obstacles together is the most transformative part of the mentor-client relationship. Mary remembers experiencing such a change as she accompanied a client to the food pantry for the first time. "It was such an eye opener to me as to what it means to people to take charity. I think at that moment, I was changed... more caring, more compassionate. One of those situations I'll just never forget."

Planning Sleep Out For The First Time...

But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Psalms 9:18

Hey, I’m Andy Jack, Middle School Pastor at Christ Church of Oak Brook and my group is participating in Sleep Out Saturday for the first time. I was born, raised, and educated in DuPage County. I received my MA degree in Christian Formation and Ministry from Wheaton College and I am an ordained minister in the Evangelical Church Alliance. I live in Wheaton with my wife, Kathy, daughter, Emma, and our new baby, Addison, born in September.

I was recently asked to share some of my thoughts about the event…

Why did you decide to do SOS?
It just makes sense for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people in our own community. Serving our neighbors is what we want to be about as a church and student ministry. Yet, there are not a lot of organizations that will work with young teens. The SOS experience seems to be a very age-appropriate program that allows students to use their gifts and passions for a meaningful cause.

How do you think this event will be different/similar to things you've done in the past like the 30-hour famine?
I think it will tap into their desire to serve the same way many of our other events have. Our students desperately want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Anytime we can provide students with a way to take risks, go beyond themselves, and make a difference, they respond. Any time we set the bar high, they go beyond what anyone expects of them.

What are you looking forward to most?
I am looking forward to our students experiencing the rally with hundreds of other students. I cannot begin to imagine the kind of energy that would come out of that kind of crowd.

What are you concerned about?
The sleeping arrangements seem like a logistical challenge for us. Honestly, I haven’t even begun to plan for that part of the weekend.

How do you think SOS will impact the kids you lead?
I hope and pray it wakes us up from our suburban apathy. Students and adults are blind to the issues of poverty, hunger and homelessness in our community. We think that kind of stuff happens somewhere else, but never in our own towns. Confronting our students with the truth should be enough to move them into action.

Feel free to contact me if you have any great tips for us, or if you want to talk to another “first timer.” ajack@cc-ob.org

Peace.

Andy

A Taste of What Sleep Out Saturday Means to Participants!

We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes. – JFK


Hello again to our readers of the Sleep Out Saturday 2009 blog!

It’s now time to feature our second interview of four, and this week you can really get a feel for the tremendous sentiment that comes every year with Sleep Out Saturday. Another big thank you goes out to Michelle Stuhlmacher, from the First United Methodist Church of Glen Ellyn, for taking the time to speak with us. Here’s what she had to say...

Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you became involved in Sleep Out Saturday?
My name is Michelle and I am a junior at Wheaton North High School. My church has always been a big sponsor of Bridge Communities and last year one of the women involved in organizing SOS at my church asked me if I wanted to work as a peer leader for SOS. As a high schooler I have a ridiculously busy schedule – between homework, sports, and extracurriculars, I don't really have much free time. I thought that Bridge Communities was a great organization and Sleep Out Saturday a terrific event, but I didn't know if I could add yet another time commitment. Then I remembered what it is like out in the cold, and sometimes the wet, trying to fall asleep and thinking how hard it would be to do this every single night. I realized how lucky I am to have a place I can come home to and I decided that I could make time for a cause like this one. I agreed because the work that Bridge Communities does is so important to our community and is an awesome volunteer opportunity for an organization I really believe in.

We’re all glad you could find the time for something like this. What was your role last year?
I was a peer leader last year and really enjoyed it. As a peer leader I did some PR for the event like interviews and other media relations. I also can talk to groups of kids who do, or are, interested in doing SOS. I had never seen the planning and managing side of how Sleep Out Saturday is run until last year. I was amazed at how much time and energy went into organizing the event, but equally shocked at the enthusiasm and the passion of everyone who works at Bridge Communities. They believe in what they do and can't wait to share this love with others. I was thrilled to count myself among these great people working together for a very important cause.

What activities did you plan and/or participate in?
Peer leaders have a variety of roles; I mainly worked on public relations. I was interviewed for a radio news story on the event and the video shown at the rally the night of Sleep Out Saturday.

Do you believe more kids your age should become involved in events like this, and why?
Yes, events like SOS are so easy and simple. All you have to do is raise funds and sleep out for one night and you have helped a person or a family for a lifetime. We have the ability to do so much if we all work together, the more people we get, the more lives we can touch. If just one person raises money and sleeps out in their yard, he or she might be able to help a family for a couple of months. But if 1,000 people sleep out we raise thousands more and exponentially increase our awareness. And that is really why we sleep out – it is one thing to raise money, it is a completely different story to live a night in the life of a homeless person. After that one night people go home changed by the experience. I didn't realize how many things I take for granted living here in DuPage County. Be person 1,001...you do make a difference!

What do you look forward to most about SOS this year?
The rally! Every year it gets bigger and better. More people come and more entertainment is planned. I am excited not only to see the DJ or band that comes and plays, but also the sheer number of people who are all coming out with one purpose in mind. We are all there to make someone else’s life better…to give them a warm, dry place to stay. If you have ever slept out you know what it is like to wake up in the morning and be a little sore, a little groggy, but imagine feeling that every single morning and still having to go to school or work. It is something that not a lot of people get to understand. I look forward to others, and myself, being able to connect with the families who have been homeless.

This year's theme is HOPE...what does that mean to you?
That word has been used often around the country in the past year, but I think Bridge Communities provides real HOPE to many homeless families in DuPage County. They have helped move families off the streets and start them towards better education and jobs and permanent housing. Bridge Communities provides housing but it also provides HOPE for a brighter future. Each family receives a mentor them that guides the family on their journey to stability; these people really give the family new HOPE for the future. SOS mirrors the families' HOPE as well. By coming out on a chilly fall night, the sleepers show they have hope for a better tomorrow, one in which everyone will have somewhere warm and dry to stay.

Do you have any suggestions for new group/peer leaders this year?
Just that you are helping out a great cause and feel free to let people know that you believe that everyone should have a home. The experience you get from this night is not one that you are likely to get anywhere else in DuPage County. We are all so lucky to have a home so share your experiences, your time and your funds and help those who have not been so lucky. We can make the world a better place, just work together.

Thanks, so much, Michelle. Keep up the great work!
You’re welcome, anything I can do for Sleep Out Saturday is truly a blessing.
_________________________________________________
If you are a group leader and would like to nominate one of your teens or if you are a teen that is participating in Sleep Out Saturday 2009 and would like to be a SOS Peer Leader, please contact Lisa Hedrick at lisa.hedrick@bridgecommunities.org for more information.

That concludes this week’s segment. Please make comments or suggestions or share tips and stories about Sleep Out Saturday too!

Next week we’ll have a glimpse into a first time Sleep Out Saturday group and the excitement surrounding planning this event! Thanks and have a great week!

From A Veteran SOS Leader 's Perspective

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.


Hello again to our readers of the Sleep Out Saturday 2009 blog!

This week will feature our first interview of four, and we know it will provide you with some great insight into what Sleep Out Saturday is all about. A big thank you goes out to Sandra Hill, from the First Church of Lombard, for taking the time to speak with us. Here’s what she had to say!
_____________________________________

Sandra, why don’t you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
I am The Outreach Coordinator for First Church of Lombard, United Church of Christ. My various roles include the coordination of The Outreach House – Home to Walk in Ministry and First Things First Infant Needs Outreach, the monthly Mobile Food Truck from Northern Illinois Food Pantry, The Community Table, and PADS. My role is to expand and encourage the numerous volunteer opportunities for our congregation and our community. I am also responsible for maintaining and fostering the relationships our Wider Church Committee has, including, but not limited to, Elmhurst College, Community Renewal Society, Lifelink, Interfaith House as well as our friends at Bridge Communities!

Wow! Sounds like you’re pretty busy. It’s great to know that someone’s doing all this great work! What then is unique to you about Sleep Out Saturday…what really drew you in the first time around?
Sleep Out Saturday is a perfect example of “walking in another person’s shoes”. It provides a wonderful opportunity to teach and to experience the issues of homelessness our brothers and sisters face on a daily basis.

What sort of activities do you have planned for this year?
We plan on doing a “Scavenger Hunt of Social Services” type of activity. Our participants this year will be given a 24-hour bus pass and a list of places to find that a person who is in need of assistance might need to locate. Such as: Department of Human Services, DuPage County Health Department, Food Pantries, PADS site for shelter, PADS Day Site, and so on.

That’s a really neat idea, Sandra! Do you have any suggestions for activities that new, first time group leaders can use?
We have an activity that we used last year to illustrate the need for a safety net and to also demonstrate how fragile relationships can be. After a lengthy conversation of the need to identify those in your safety net (other than school friends) and why you might need a safety net, we handed out rolls of toilet paper and ask our participants to write the names of people on each square. We used toilet paper to demonstrate how fragile safety nets can be and the need to have more than one or two people you could turn to if in need. We hung these around the sanctuary the next morning to encourage conversations with participants and those attending service.

That sounds like a great activitiy! As you may have experienced your first time around, new group leaders might have some concerns going into their first SOS. Anything you can think of that would help them out?
We always run the risk of planning too much or not planning enough. Bridge provides us with a tremendous amount of invaluable resources…Use them! Plan from them! But, be flexible and go with where the group needs to go when experiencing this event.

Lastly, Sandra, this year’s theme is HOPE. What does that mean to you?
As a community social worker, my professional life is to work with others and advocate. As a person of faith, it is my calling to help others…both with the hope that one person’s actions can bring about change and hope for a better tomorrow.

Thank you, Sandra. Your answers have been terrific and you really were such a great help!
It was my pleasure and my honor. I really look forward to this year’s event, and I can’t wait to continue my work helping others find HOPE.

Feel free to comment on anything Sandra has talked about, and discuss this with others on the blog. Come back next week for another great interview, this time with a high-schooler who’s making the difference!

Hope Springs Eternal at Sleep Out Saturday, November 7th!

Hope is the bedrock of this nation; the belief that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us; by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is; who have courage to remake the world as it should be. – Barack Obama

Welcome all new and returning readers to our blog for the sixth annual SOS (Sleep Out Saturday) season! Be sure to share this blog address with your group participants! Over the next six weeks, we’ll be detailing everything you need to know about this year’s event, as well as interviewing some very special people for insights on how to get the most out of your SOS experience!

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 7th and will feature over 75 groups, individuals, and families looking to raise awareness for the homeless of DuPage County. As we strive to give homeless families HOPE (this year’s theme) we look forward to helping you prepare for a night of experiencing homelessness.

As you may or may not already know, SOS is sponsored by Bridge Communities, a non-profit organization located in Glen Ellyn. They help homeless families in DuPage County become self-sufficient again. By sleeping outside in November, it gives us a chance (if only for one night) to experience what it might really be like in another’s less fortunate shoes.
The SOS 2009 rally will be better than ever. One of Chicago’s hottest radio stations, 101.9 The Mix, will DJ and emcee the entire event. We are excited for their presence and we know the kids will love it too.

In the coming weeks, each blog will feature an interview with people from four different perspectives, all involved with Bridge Communities in some way, but all speaking for your benefit. We want to make your SOS experience the best possible, so keep checking back every week!

For more information, and to register for this year’s event, please visit www.sleepoutsaturday.org. While you’re on the site, also check out the great videos in our Sleep Out Saturday Newsroom!

All of your thoughts, concerns, and questions are greatly appreciated. Feel free to give feedback right here on the blog.

Coming Up Next Week...
An interview with Sandra Hill, a returning SOS group leader! Hear what she has to say about the SOS experience!

Great news!

Despite the down turned economy, we have surpassed 2007 fundraising efforts! To date, individuals and groups participating in Sleep Out Saturday 2008 have raised over $115,000!

Bridge Communities can now provide more housing, transportation assistance, educational and employment training, tutoring for children and support services for families in crisis!

Thank you to everyone who participated! We couldn't do it without you!

Get Ready for Sleep Out Saturday 2009!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Rally: Downtown Glen Ellyn
6:30 - 8:00 pm

Visit www.sleepoutsaturday.org to learn more about this unique fundraising event.

More information will be coming soon for our 2009 event on November 7th. Be sure to stop back over the next few months to learn more... stay tuned!