Last week Bridge a Life received word that we had been selected to receive a grant from the Florida Disaster Relief Fund to assist the families we serve with hurricane recovery.

We were honored to stand alongside other hardworking, compassionate nonprofit partners who, like Bridge a Life, are positioned to quickly and effectively meet the needs of people who have been negatively impacted by these storms.

In the days leading up to Hurricane Milton making landfall, we worked alongside other child welfare agencies to create a shared database of families with whom we engage. This allowed us to streamline our communication efforts after the storm and share the load of touching base with families. Nearly 200 families received a personal call and we are grateful to report that every family made it through the storm safely. Most commonly we heard that power was lost, resulting in all cold food needing to be disposed of. Additionally, many people lost trees, sections of fence, and shingles. Some had more significant damage to their pool cage, roof, or vehicle. Many lost income due to businesses being closed.

We're grateful to have funds available to quickly address the needs of families while pointing them towards sustainable community resources. We understand that FEMA applications and insurance claims take time and we're fortunate to be positioned to help families bridge the gap and stand with them during uncertain times.

Since Hurricane Ian hit in 2022, Bridge a Life has been able to support over 90 individual families in long term recovery efforts. Projects have ranged from contributing towards new roofs to yard cleanups, providing shelter and safety for over 150 children.

Ever since becoming an official non-profit, the Board of Directors has always held in high regard its responsibility as the "gatekeeper" of Bridge a Life's mission and vision. We have taken our role very seriously over the last decade while doing everything we could to be involved on a daily and detailed basis as each Board Member managed careers in other sectors. Our desire has always been for kids from hard places and their families to have everything they need to be set up for the best outcomes. We have done well through the years but we know there is always room to grow.

With that said, the Board has come to a place that we believe the mission and vision should be entrusted to our FIRST EVER Executive Director, Jody Jester! Jody is in her 9th year with Bridge a Life and has done so much incredible work for us during that time we know how well she'll lead us into a better tomorrow for the children and families we are blessed to serve. It's been a long time coming but we wanted to make sure those who were unaware of this announcement can congratulate Jody the next time you see her.

~ Danny Jones, Bridge a Life Co-Founder and Board Chair