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Letter from the Director

What If...

I sometimes think about what my life would have been like if I hadn't come across Mark, Bob, and their band of dedicated volunteers and board members in 1996.  They were just completing the apartment building in Glendale Heights to house homeless families.  They had the heart, I happened to have the professional credentials and background they needed to help move their work forward.  It was a great mix.  As we spent time together, I began asking "what if" questions;

 "What if we rented an office instead of meeting at Glen Oak restaurant?"

 "What if we began to hire staff and provide the structure through apartments and services to church groups wanting to help homeless families?"

 "What if we started our own tutoring program to help children achieve at school?"

 "What if we began to buy more real estate to house more and more families?"

This wonderful alchemy of leadership, vision, dedication, guts, humor and friendship, has filled my last 12 years with a wonderful mosaic of rich memories and touching stories of homeless families transforming their lives.

What if Bridge hadn't been there for 20 years providng a safety net in our community? What if we didn't begin asking these important questions? Where would we be today?

And I'm still asking.  Where will Bridge be tomorrow and in the next 20 years? Thanks for allowing me to serve this wonderful cause and keep asking these important questions.

What if...

Joyce Hothan
Executive Director