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Success Stories
As a donor, you provide a safety net and transform the lives of thousands of children and families each year. You can help the family who's come to us for counseling, desperate for one small ray of hope. Or help a homeless teen become a self-sufficient adult. Or help kids learn to make good choices in and after school.
Here are a few of their stories:
Sara and her younger sister, Tess, came to us after years of abuse and neglect. Having experienced significant trauma in their young lives, they were afraid, vulnerable, and resistant to forming relationships. After several months of intense counseling, our caring and compassionate program staff earned the sisters’ trust and respect. They encouraged Sara to re-engage in the ROTC program at her high school and she participated in many after-school activities. Today, she is thriving at Central Connecticut State University. Tess is living with a foster family and hopes to follow in her sister’s footsteps.
Alyssa was 16 years old and working two jobs as the primary source of income for her family. She and her mom were homeless, and had to move every few months. Alyssa was seriously considering dropping out of school. She was referred to our Independent Living Program, and quickly developed a nurturing and trusting relationship her caseworker, Dawn. Together, they began to tackle the obstacles she was facing. They submitted applications for colleges and financial aid. Alyssa was accepted to Fordham University! Her dream of pursuing a career in the theater was blossoming into reality. However, she did not have money for the $750 registration fee the school required. The Bridge was able to cover this cost, and other incidental college expenses, because of your generosity.
Shayna was a depressed 14-year-old, running away from home, addicted to social media, getting bullied at school, cutting herself, and thinking she wanted to die. She was eventually hospitalized because she was trying to hurt herself. After her release and to continue her treatment, Shayna chose the Bridge’s Pathfinders program and began turning her life around. Pathfinders provides emergency shelter for teens in crisis. Meeting other girls in our homelike environment, Shayna realized that “other people go through the same things that I do,” and no one was judging her. “It’s hard work to change, but it’s worth it. You realize the situation you’re in can actually get better.” Now a high school senior, she’s getting straight A’s, gets along well with her mother, and is looking forward to college and working with special needs children after she graduates.
Nate was a “lost child” referred to a Bridge counselor for mentoring in sixth grade. He had never met his father, and his mom, who was struggling with serious mental health issues, couldn’t maintain a job and was barely able to keep the small family together. Nate was disheveled, felt sad and lonely, and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. His mentoring focused on social skills, developing his confidence with peer relationships, and improving his school performance and behavior. Today, Nate is a high school sophomore and an active member of our Teen Center leadership group. Despite his challenges with speaking and social interaction, Nate has become an outstanding leader with a clear vision, which he communicates seamlessly and poignantly.
Jordie was removed from home as a toddler by the Department of Children and Families due to parental neglect, and lived with foster families before being adopted. But when he entered his teens, Jordie fell in with the wrong crowd and began drinking and doing drugs, winding up in juvenile detention. His life was spiraling out of control, and he knew he had to make a change before it was too late. When Jordie learned about the Bridge’s Moving On Project, a transitional apartment program for older teens aging out of the foster care system, he jumped at the chance. With support from our dedicated staff, he went to technical school, earned his diploma, and began working full-time. He hopes to move to independent living soon.
More success stories:
Lorey was a happily married mother of three, volunteering in her kids’ schools and coaching two of their sports teams. Suddenly, her life turned upside down. Her husband broke his leg skiing and became addicted to OxyContin. To support his habit, he went through their savings and began selling their valuables. He was no longer himself, debt was piling up, and Lorey was frightened for their children. Then one day he overdosed – a statistic in our deadly opioid epidemic. Lorey turned to the Bridge in her anguish, knowing we wouldn’t turn her away because she had no insurance and couldn’t pay. Over two very painful years, she and her children took part in both individual and family therapy and slowly began to heal.
Amber suffered two major traumas before she turned 17. Because of her mother’s severe mental illness, Amber’s aunt became her legal guardian when she was young, and they later moved to Virginia. But then her aunt died, and her family kicked her out with only a few days’ notice. Fortunately, she found safety at our West Hartford youth shelter, where she built trusting relationships with our caring staff. She now has a part-time job and plans to continue her education.
Omar was 11 years old and acting out in school and at home. Worried that he was a poor influence on his two younger brothers, his overwhelmed mom brought him to the Bridge for counseling. Very quickly, his therapist saw that the problem was much bigger than just Omar’s behavior—his dad had abandoned them, and the whole family was struggling. Therapy has helped them heal, and Omar’s entire outlook has changed.
Tina joined our PEP parent leadership program to improve her parenting skills and become involved in the community. When she confided to the group about fleeing with her toddler from her abusive husband, the group rallied around her and made domestic violence their team project. Together, they are empowering women and raising awareness about this critical, but often hidden, issue.
Carlos was in ninth grade when he was referred to a Bridge counselor for mentoring. Now 16, he is active in our Teen Center, a safe place for kids to go after school, and its leadership program. With the continued support of his mentor, he has overcome years of abuse by his father and his despair over his older brother's drug addiction. Carlos says that without his mentor, he would have felt completely alone.
Sean was 12 years old when he began to feel anxiety about transitions and was diagnosed with OCD. At the Bridge’s Counseling Center, he learned coping strategies to reduce his anxiety and went past his fear to bravely face his challenges. Today he is managing his transition as a college freshman using what he learned at the Bridge.
Nicole started high school as a good student who played sports. But as summer arrived, she was overwhelmed with depression by her sisters’ impending departure for college, and she began cutting herself. Their father’s substance abuse was affecting the entire family. Intensive therapy at the Bridge changed Dad’s behavior and the whole family dynamic. Most of all, Nicole learned positive ways to manage her feelings and became her happy self again. Her sisters went off to college no longer worrying about abandoning their younger sibling.
Daina was abused by her parents and placed in a residential home where she suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect. She came to a Bridge STAR home, a temporary shelter where girls can begin to mend their lives. Daina learned to trust caring adults and make healthy decisions, and now has hope for her future.
After a bitter divorce, Tami struggled with depression and anxiety, especially for her children, 12-year-old BJ and 8-year-old Ashley. "I was almost too depressed to do anything, but BJ wasn't himself anymore and I knew I had to do something before it was too late," Tami said. Fortunately, she came to the Bridge, where intensive individual and family therapy has turned their lives around.
These are just a few of the people helped by your gift to the Bridge. Thank you for your support!
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