The Bridge Family Center in West Hartford Receives $375,000 Grant

The Bridge Family Center in West Hartford has received a $375,000 grant from the Hartford Foundation of Public Giving, according to an announcement on Monday.

The grant, which will be used over the course of three years to provide infrastructure support to further the Bridge’s mission, Bridge Executive Director Margaret Hann said.

“Since 1998, the Bridge has been fortunate to have the support of the Hartford Foundation on many levels,” said Hann in the release. “We are deeply grateful for this current grant. Frankly, the Bridge would not be the strong organization we are today without the support of the Hartford Foundation over the years.”

The Bridge has received more than $1 million from the Hartford Foundation since the late 1990s, Hann said in a telephone interview.

“We would not be the organization we are today without [the Hartford Foundation’s] support,” Hann said. “It’s allowed a nonprofit of our size to do the things we are able to do.”

The grant was given to only three different organizations, with the Bridge being one of them.

“Those organizations were run through a very vigorous process,” Hann said. “That piece is huge. It’s a real endorsement of the Bridge. We’re thrilled. We couldn’t be more grateful for their support and the endorsement of our mission.”

Judith Rozie-Battle, interim vice president for programs at the Hartford Foundation, said in a press release that the grant was structured in a way that the Bridge can use at its discretion “to support ongoing activities and organizational stability, as outlined in their strategic plan.”

The Bridge was founded in 1969 to meet the needs of West Hartford community youth who were engaged in high-risk behavior, the release said.  The Bridge later expanded its outreach efforts, opened a shelter for runaway and homeless youth, and began to work directly with schools, according to the release.

Today the Bridge is a regional nonprofit agency that offers a broad range of services to children, youth, and families in the Greater Hartford area, with particular attention to serving those at risk.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region, dedicated to improving the quality of life for area residents, according to the release. The Hartford Foundation receives gifts from thousands of generous individuals and families and in 2012 awarded grants of more than $27 million to a broad range of area nonprofit organizations. For more information about the Hartford Foundation, visit www.hfpg.org.