• Events
• Alternative Spring Break
• Faculty Opportunities
• Lilly Outreach Grants
• Seminary "Road Tour"
• Seminary Semester
• Summer Internships
• Summer Student Research Grants
• Lilly Project Home Page
• Office of the Chaplains

Family Bridge
Hillsboro, OR
http://www.family-bridge.org

Their tag line says it all: "Ending Homelessness – One Family at a Time." This is the sole purpose of Family Bridge - “To serve homeless families with children by providing shelter help and hope, so they might achieve stability and self-sufficiency.”

Family Bridge, established in 1999, is a full-time shelter program for families with children that provides families with a safe and stable environment, showers, phones, cooking supplies, onsite case management and resources to find a job(s), books, support to find housing and much more. 

The Family Bridge shelter program is unique in that we have a Day House and Resource Center for families, facilitated by volunteers, and we are is supported by a network of faith communities (churches, wards, synagogues, houses of faith) who serve as an overnight host site for 1 week at a time on a rotating basis.  Families go to the church each evening for dinner and sleep at the church, returning to the Day House at 7:00 in the morning.  We currently have 8 host sites with about 8 support congregations.  The goal is to have 12 host sites.  The Day House  is open Monday – Friday from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Wednesday from 9:00-11:00 and 3:00-7:00.  Saturday from 8:00-2:00 and Sunday 8:00-5:00.   Faith communities take turns in a rotating hosting schedule and members welcome homeless families into their buildings, setting up temporary guest rooms and providing dinner.  The families return to our day center in the morning and focus on case management goals, particularly to increase income (through employment) and locate housing to become self-sufficient. 

Family Bridge can house three families at a time, with a maximum stay of six weeks. Often, homeless families need places for their belongings, resources to job and house search, and simplicities such as a phone line in order to receive a call back from a potential employer. This is offered at Family Bridge. While at the day shelter, the family members residing, are responsible for:  daily maintenance of the house, social service appointments, attending classes to enhance their self-sufficiency skills, daytime meal planning and preparation, housing searches and job searches. Family Bridge is dedicated to helping families achieve self-sufficiency.

This year we served over 30 families that have been homeless.  The average stay is about 40 days, during which time the families are usually able to move into their own apartments.  Our success rate for families moving from shelter to housing is about 80%.  Those who do not complete the program are eligible to move to another shelter at the end of their stay.

Our clients all fall within the 0-30% range of median family income. Most have experienced previous periods of homelessness.  More adults than not left high school without completing GED or diploma requirements.  Many are in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions.

The staff currently consists of two people: a fulltime Executive Director, and Volunteer Manager.  Annie Heart is the Executive Director and Case Manager; she joined Family Bridge in May, 2006.  Annie brings several years of nonprofit, business management, working with social service providers and counseling experience to Family Bridge, along with a Masters in Justice and Peace Studies from Iliff School of Theology (a United Methodist Seminary in Denver) and Bachelors in Creative Writing. 

JoAnn Eden is the Volunteer and House Manager.  She has significant experience in managing volunteers at several different nonprofit organizations in Washington County.  Additionally JoAnn has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Oregon, and Special Education from San Francisco State.

The internship includes the following scope: The intern will be part of the activity of a small non-profit agency that relies on volunteers to facilitate the Shelter Day House activities and collaborates heavily with community partners.

1. Intern will have an opportunity to gain knowledge of homelessness.
2. Under the supervision of the director, the intern could have direct interaction with shelter clients, create age appropriate activities to engage children at the shelter and, if applicable, participate in family intake, goal setting and continuum of care while at the shelter.
3. Tasks could include an opportunity to serve as coordinator of children activities for the summer.
4. The intern would have an opportunity to gain case management skills, including assessment, development and implementation, to support the homeless clients in becoming self-sufficient.   There is opportunity to assist clients in locating resources and informally serving as a mentor during their stay at the shelter.
5. Other tasks may be assigned as needed.   
6. The intern would be scheduled between 7:00 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Monday – Friday and on Saturday and Sundays between 8:00 and 2:00 p.m.  
7. Director Annie Heart would server as internship onsite-advisor to help the intern create a working plan with goals and positive outcomes appropriate to the intern’s study program and life goals.  Mrs. Heart would meet with the intern periodically to evaluate progress.  
8. JoAnn Eden would serve as the intern’s direct on-site supervisor and would schedule and coordinate internship times based on needs of families.  JoAnn would include the intern in house and volunteer orientations and other program activities.
9. The intern would have the opportunity, if desired, to participate in the Inter-faith Hospitality Network of faith communities that support the ministry of Family Bridge based on the scope of the intern’s career goals and purpose of interning with Family Bridge
10. An appropriate theological mentor, from the Family Bridge Board of Directors, or from one of the participating faith communities, could serve as theological vocational mentor if desired.  Annie Heart, director, is also a graduate of Iliff School of Theology with a Masters in Special Ministry and has served in several church and community settings and participated with and served on the board of a variety of interfaith committees and groups in California, Colorado, Utah and Oregon.
11. Vocational questions that will arise at Family Bridge include the following:

• How can congregations, including churches and synagogues, better respond to community needs related to poverty?
• How can people of faith better understand the effects of poverty, especially as it impacts education, addictions, parenting and job readiness?
• How can congregations develop partnership with government and non-religious agencies to better address needs?
• Recognizing the importance of the role of volunteers in this program, how does the link between community volunteers strengthen the program, empower clients to become self-sufficient and build community and support for clients.
• How can individuals working in this area minimize, or perhaps avoid, burn-out and find renewal in and along their work?

We seek a person who is a confident self-starter, resourceful, non-judging and open to others. Ideally the intern would have good boundaries and realize that s/he is not responsible for changing others' lives.   Someone with a strong history of volunteering may be better able to recognize the importance of this activity in working for change.

The internship does not require driving. Family Bridge is located one block from MAX, the light rail system that serves metropolitan Portland.    Any ten week period in the summer, or during holiday school breaks works well for us - we're flexible!
 

Return to Summer Internships