This Friday’s PSA is on behalf of Bridge Communities, an organization that serves the working poor, the fastest growing population, in one of Illinois’ wealthiest counties. Know someone who needs help? Call Bridge Communities at 630.545.0610. Have a charity you’d like to see featured as a Friday PSA? Leave a suggestion in the comment box with the URL.

Organization Stats:
- average age of a homeless person is 8 years old
- clients: homeless families in need of housing, career counseling, education and mentoring
- partners: 41 churches and community groups in DuPage County
- provided 69,000 shelter nights in 2006
- transitioned 1600 people from homeless to self-sufficiency since 1988
- $25 donation provides 24 hours of shelter/housing for one person

About Bridge Communities From the sponsorship of one family in 1988, Bridge Communities’ network includes program partnerships with over 40 churches and community groups in locations throughout DuPage County.  

Program partners assist in supporting nearly 70 homeless families annually in the Bridge Transitional Housing Program. With a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, Bridge Communities is one of the top-ranked organizations to serve homeless families in the Midwest. One gift to Bridge Communities goes to work on six levels providing housing, mentoring, tutoring, employment counseling, career and financial planning assistance.

Bridge Communities’ mission is to: inspire and effect change by advocating for homeless families; provide services and opportunities that connect families to a better future; collaborate with faith-based partners, community groups and businesses to leverage resources and create long-term solutions; and lead by example through our innovative programs and grassroots involvement.

Donate now to help homeless families find a better future

Although I don’t often share personal messages to my ezine subscribers [get a backstage pass to what's on my mind], today I’m posting an excerpt from this week’s edition of MTN News as background for how I decided to come up with the Friday PSA Feature. What I left out in my ezine message is the project I was working on – “Buzz 41″ – an ezine communication to connect the district’s five schools with parents, staff, the community and the media – considered quite an advanced tactic for schools in 2001 . . .

September 13, 2007

Greetings!

It’s two days and six years past
September1 11, 2001. I’m the first
one to say it’s time for speakers,
marketers, etc. to stop mentioning
the date in their presentations and
publications.

For two reasons: it’s a day that bears
emotional significance that distracts
your audience’s attention and the
reference is overdone.

Why did I just break my own rule?

Two days ago, I got an email from a
colleague who was with me that morning
reminding me of our 9/11 experience.

Our client at the time was the local school
district. We had a meeting scheduled with
them for September 11 at 9:00 a.m. -
minutes my first grader, fourth grader and
seventh grader went off to school.

Being in the school district’s headquarters
and on the emergency communication
response team seemed the only natural
place for me to be at the time.

And, yet we were . . .
clueless, helpless, but hope-full.

A few weeks afterwards, I got an assignment
to photograph the cover and interior images for
the district’s annual report.

My subjects?
First graders releasing butterflies and
fifth graders replanting a prairie. Healing
and new life took the place of desperation.

Recalling that day and the few weeks
afterwards took me back to an emotional
spot I hadn’t visited in awhile.

Truth is, most days I’m so blessed and grateful
that I don’t even begin to realize how well off
we are in the U.S.

So, I’m starting a new Public Service
Announcement [PSA] feature. Every Friday
on my blog, I’ll talk about a charity and give
them free space. Most of the time, I’ll write
the PSA, but if they have one ready to go,
I’ll use that.

This week’s PSA is Unitus, a charity dedicated
to ending poverty worldwide by funding micro
businesses.

From September 13-16, you can contribute
directly to a cause that’s dedicated to
end world poverty.

Watch for more information tomorrow or
take a few minutes and watch the video now.