A Message from Francis Moses

Dear Volunteers:

After many years at Bridges, I have decided to retire. I will continue to be concerned about the situation of our homeless friends who are caught in the wilderness of life. One thing that I have taken away is the resilience, strength, and character of our street friends.

Over the years, I have watched young volunteers that you have nurtured change their perception of homelessness on a Run, seen their concern for our homeless friends, and appreciated their eagerness to make a difference. Volunteers of all ages who give up their time and resources to join a Run have a special place in my heart. You are the heart and soul of Bridges. I hope that you will continue your outreach with Bridges and assist my successors as they lead you and your groups on Runs. It has been my pleasure and honor to work with each and every one of you.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am not one for parties or fanfare. So, please understand that it is my wish to retire quietly.

With deepest best wishes,

Francis Moses

Note from Lois: Many of you have asked in the last month: “Where is Francis? Is he okay?” Francis is fine and in good spirits and looking forward to this new stage of his life. We are grateful for his many years of service to Bridges, our homeless friends, and volunteers. He will be missed.

As Francis has said, he is not one for parties or fanfare. We will respect his wishes and let him retire quietly. If you would like to send Francis a card, I would be happy to pass it along to him. He does not read e-mail, but I would also be happy to print and give him any messages. We wish Francis health and happiness and the company of good friends and family in his retirement years.

P.O. Box 1444, Summit, NJ 07902

No Child Should be Hungry

No child should go hungry. You can help.

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization
Congress is reviewing all the federal child nutrition programs, including School Breakfast and Lunch programs, Summer Food, Child and Adult Care Food and WIC programs.

TO HELP: go to WWW.FRAC.ORG, click on LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER and Take Action on Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

FRAC (Food Research and Action Center) believes a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill must include the following priorities:

• Expand the Afterschool Meal Program to all
  50 states.
• Improve the area eligibility test so more communities can operate afterschool, summer, and child care food programs.
• Provide funds for a grant program to support the start-up and expansion of universal and in-classroom school breakfast programs.
• Invest in Summer Nutrition Programs by providing funding for start-up, outreach, and transportation grants.
• Allow child care centers and homes the option of serving a third meal.

Eliminate unnecessary paperwork that serves as a barrier to participation through data-based eligibility in schools in high-poverty areas and improved direct certification systems.

National Volunteer Week 2010

This week, we celebrate National Volunteer Week 2010, and our remarkable volunteers.

Bridges is fortunate to have over 1,500 volunteers accompany us on our Runs each year impacting many lives along the way. There are more than a dozen dedicated soup makers who come whether it’s December or July and stir huge caldrons of soup for every Run. We have a core group of volunteers who come in every Friday (sometimes Tuesdays too) to sort bags and bags of donated clothing. Hundreds of people drop off clothing and dozens of schools and houses of worship, businesses, girl scouts and boy scouts make brown bag lunches, breakfast bags, and toiletry kits. Let’s not forget our dedicated board that jumps in wherever and whenever they are needed. All in all, Bridges has volunteers in the thousands. When I tell people this, they think it is a hyperbole. “You mean hundreds?” they ask. No, I mean thousands.

Bridges volunteers are amazing and we could not make over 160 Runs a year, deliver 100,000 brown bag lunches, 40,000 breakfast bags, or 15,000 toiletry kits without each and every one of you.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO and have a great week!

A Sock Exhibit!

I was driving home from work yesterday and while listening to All Things Considered on NPR heard about the sock exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. A sock exhibit! Being one that purchases socks in lots of 2,000 pairs, I took interest.

On a typical Bridges Run we give out about 200 pairs of new socks to our homeless friends who sometimes remove warn shoes to strip off week-old socks to immediately feel the luxury of a new, clean pair of socks. Being on the street, washing is a limited option. Where would you wash them? How would you dry them? So, a new pair is most welcome. Curator of the exhibit, Elizabeth Semmelhack says, “It turns out that many people around the world – before the invention of knitting or even weaving and sewing – they would stuff grass into their shoes or boots as a means of wicking away moisture and adding a bit of comfort to their everyday going about.”

“A bit of comfort to their everyday going about.” Well, I’m glad that we can offer at least that much to our homeless friends, although we always wish it could be more -- like a place to wash those socks.

A note of thanks to the Long Valley Middle School, grades 6, 7, and 8 for collecting 2,145 pairs of new socks on behalf of Hannah’s Socks for Bridges to deliver to homeless friends in New York City, Newark and Irvington, NJ. Awesome job!!

We will miss you, Erma.

We have a terrific core of volunteers that help us sort clothing on Tuesdays and Fridays. Last summer, we thrilled to have “snowbird” Erma arrive in the spring. She came north to visit her daughter for the summer and was looking for something meaningful to do. Her daughter, Carol, suggested Bridges and she was a great fit. She busily sorted donations, quietly at first, and then her dry sense of humor emerged one day and kept everyone smiling. We sent her off last fall with a promise that she would return. Sadly, Carol let us know that Erma passed away suddenly on March 21 from a massive stroke at her home in Florida. We will miss you, Erma.