Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2024
Guiding Youth The Whole Way
Dear Friends,
Another year has ended, and I am here to report on what we achieved in 2024 and on the challenges Bridge continues to face. Homelessness among young people is still with us, and young adults continue to look to Bridge for relief from trauma, neglect, and other crises. And this year, Bridge continued to speak out on the issue and share what we learned over 50-plus years of pioneering programming.
At a leadership summit at UMass Boston, I presented a TEDxBoston talk (to listen, scan the QR code on our “Accomplishments” page). I spoke on how we know young brains are not fully mature until at least age 24, but service systems make no distinction between an 18-year-old and someone who’s 60 or 70. Bridge advocates for policy change to respond to where transition-age youth are at in their journey to adulthood, as Bridge programs do. That’s why we’ve built a strong Research Department to develop, test, and report on innovative approaches to engage young people. This year, we completed a number of studies examining substance use among young adults, publishing them in the American Journal on Addictions and the J ournal of Social Distress and Homelessness . For more, scan the second QR code on our “Accomplishments” page.
Yet all people experiencing homelessness, whatever their age, need a place to live. That’s why Bridge has developed housing models specifically for young people who have never had consistent housing. I’m thrilled to report that this year, we opened the Brunson Liberty House, our second independent residence, with Liberty Mutual Insurance. Located across from our Transitional Living Program complex, the new residence was purchased and renovated to house nine formerly homeless young people at affordable, below-market rent, enabling them to live on their own, build savings, skills, and confidence, and grow into full members of the community. Please read more in our “Highlights” section.
These achievements would not have been possible without your commitment to vulnerable youth in Boston. Thank you for your partnership.
Let the youth be with you,
Elisabeth Jackson
Bridge Fiscal Year 2024 Financials
The work of Bridge Over Troubled Waters is supported by generous individuals, foundations, and corporations, as well as through government grants and contracts (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024).
50%
45
$9,141,644 $1,947,429 $1,099,693 $12,188,786
Bridge is grateful for the individuals, foundations and organizations who have supported our “A Path Home for Every Youth” comprehensive funding campaign. The above funds include campaign gifts that will invest in Bridge infrastructure, strengthen our services, and grow our programs to better respond to the increasing needs of a greater number of youth. We are actively fundraising for this campaign during the five-year period between FY21 and FY25.
2024
The highlights section of our Annual Report shares many of the exciting events and happenings at Bridge over the past year.
From government appointments and cutting-edge research to expanding programs and spaces, the year has been a busy one. We are delighted to share all of these milestones with you.
Accomplishments
TEDxBoston
In January of this year, Elisabeth Jackson spoke at TEDxBoston about the problems with how we approach youth homelessness in our society and how we stop services for youth far too soon, before they are ready to truly face the challenges of being adults. Scan QR code to watch the full talk.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission
Elisabeth was appointed to the Massachusetts Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission (UHYC) by Governor Maura Healey and was sworn in during a brief ceremony at the State House on April 8th.
The UHYC is responsible for making policy and service recommendations to the Commonwealth regarding youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. In this role, Elisabeth will be able to share Bridge’s expertise and help impact the changes needed for this vulnerable community.
HiSET Testing Site
Bridge recently opened a HiSET testing site at our 47 West St. location, which has enabled students to take the test in the same place they have studied for it. This has greatly reduced barriers by allowing students to test in a location where they feel comfortable.
Texting
This year, we also put into place our new texting system that allows us to communicate with youth in the way that is most convenient to them. The system allows us to reach out to youth and schedule appointments or convey other important information.
Research
We continued our research, expanding the number of studies we are running and completing our first full trial of a study that examined the reasons youth use substances and explored the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce use among our young adults. We also continued with additional studies exploring youth resilience, financial literacy, and outcomes for our Rapid Re-housing program. (Scan QR code link to read more of our research.)
2024 Impact Report
The story of every youth at Bridge is unique, but together they make up a greater story. Our data demonstrates the success of the Bridge model in reaching as many youth as possible, providing youth with the confidence and the skills to be self-sufficient, and supporting their housing needs until each individual can be out on their own, living and thriving independently. The Bridge model works because it truly guides youth The Whole Way from homelessness to hope.
Prevention & Intervention Street Outreach & Mobile Medical Van
Bridge’s street outreach team travels on foot and in our Mobile Medical Van to meet youth “where they’re at.” When they arrive at Bridge, many youths’ first stop is our intake program, where they begin building trust and creating long-term relationships with our team members.
100 calls were made to our hotlines.
1135 contacts made across 13 Boston neighborhoods.
724 youth new to Bridge completed intake. This is a 16% increase from the previous year.
increase in youth seeking help and accessing the
Skills for Self-Sufficiency
Bridge’s program model includes a wide range of services and support strategies, from behavioral health therapy that teaches youth how to manage their emotions to help completing high school and finding a career, all to guide youth on each step of their journey home.
Behavioral Health
Education
116
youth seen by Bridge’s Behavioral Health specialists.
Transitional Living Programs
30 youth completed Bridge’s transitional living programs.
15
youth completed their HiSET/GED or high school programming.
Behavioral Health
Career Development
72% learned to manage physical and mental needs.
Housing & Support
74% employed at independent living compared to 42% at intake.
Bridge’s transitional and supportive housing programs offer varying levels of structure and support based on each youth’s developmental needs. The goal is to prepare youth for lifelong housing independence.
Transitional Living Programs
Single Parent House Independent Housing
86% of youth moved into stable housing.
100% of moms who completed the Single Parent House Program moved on to stable housing.
163 youth supported in Bridge’s independent living programs.
Brunson Liberty House
This June, Bridge partnered with Liberty Mutual to open Brunson Liberty House. Named after former Bridge social worker of over 40 years, Richard Brunson, this house is home to nine formerly homeless youth. Residents pay minimal rent and take care of their own expenses while saving up and attending work or school.
This opportunity is for young adults who have graduated our transitional living programs and developed the skills needed to live and work on their own, such as learning how to live with a roommate, do dishes, do their own laundry, clean up common spaces, and more.
Brunson Liberty House Building and Front Entrance
Brunson Liberty House Opening Ceremony
"This is where I will truly learn to be independent. Here, I will have the opportunity to explore careers, work on my credit, and go back to school."
— Darai Brunson Liberty House resident
“Safe and secure housing coupled with developmentally appropriate support services are essential for ensuring youth can reach their full potential. The first Liberty House model is already having a profound effect on supporting youth in building a foundation for their future. We are honored to once again support Bridge Over Troubled Waters in moving this vital work forward.”
— Melissa MacDonnell, President of Liberty Mutual Foundation, Vice President of Community Investments at Liberty Mutual Insurance
Thank you to all of the sponsors who helped make this project a reality:
The Alces Foundation
Anonymous
Cabot Family Charitable Trust
Clipper Ship Foundation
Jeff and Nancy Halis
Jill Greenthal and Thomas Eisenmann
Liberty Mutual Insurance
MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Mass General Brigham MGH Community Health Impact Fund
Yale Appliance
Brunson Liberty House Kitchen
Brunson Liberty House Bedroom
2024 Graduating Class
This year, we celebrated 15 youth who completed various courses of study, including getting their HiSET (high school equivalency credential). Our youth worked extremely hard and overcame obstacles to achieve these goals, and we could not be prouder of their accomplishments.
The highlight of the ceremony was our youths’ speeches. Bridge Leadership award winner Antonio noted that “This accomplishment has opened doors for me and has laid the foundation for my future.” Salutatorian Samuel reminded his fellow graduates that “It’s time to look forward, not backward. As they say, the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason.”
Finally, valedictorian Jacob told the crowd that “This moment is not just a reflection of our intelligence; it is a testament to our resilience, strength, and unyielding courage.”
Our Bridge team is a dynamic group of individuals, with cultural backgrounds that reflect the diverse youth community we serve. We are all committed to helping youth succeed.
The Bridge team is responsible for
• 2,000 youth per year
• 724 new intakes this year
• 250 youth who stay with us each night
• 13 children at the Single Parent House
• 5 residential programs
• 10 active research studies
• $12,000,000 in fundraising
• 42 Safe Place sites
• 703 class visits
• 392 Behavioral Health sessions
• 6,000 breakfasts and lunches served
• 4,000 bed nights at the Welcome Center
Youth Experiences
Our youth come to us having dealt with enormous difficulties and hardships. Due to policies that end support for youth when they turn 18, many are left with nowhere to turn. This puts these young adults in difficult situations and exposes them to many challenges and obstacles.
At Bridge, between 70-80% of youth each year are assessed with trauma experiences or PTSD, and more than 50% are assessed with moderate to severe depression at intake through our PHQ-9 screenings.
Prior to Bridge...
48% experienced child abuse 16% had been robbed
43% had been threatened
29% had been in a physical fight
40% witnessed domestic violence
41% had slept on the street
11% had exchanged sex for food or shelter
Our Youth
Bridge serves over 2,000 homeless, runaway and at-risk youth a year. Many young people belong to communities that are disproportionately affected by homelessness.
Living Situation at Intake
bridgeotw.org