Theresa Wilson, executive director of The Bridge, on Saturday gave members of the League of Women Voters an update about programs and services and introduced them to a new mission – a summer program that gives added support to selected residents.
The Bridge offers emergency shelter for those who come in for a short time, transitional housing for people with income, and day labor services to help people find jobs.
The shelter takes guests from mid-October to mid-April, and guests can stay from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Full, hot meals are provided, as well as laundry services.
“We are a wet shelter, so we do take people that are intoxicated,” Wilson told The Journal. A poll of residents at the shelter asked that intoxicated clients be separate from sober clients.
The shelter’s safety protocols include keeping intoxicated people close to the intake office and checking on these rooms every 30 minutes to an hour, Wilson said.
A tenant leader on the second floor is able to help those in transitional housing with things like informing staff of necessary repairs and calling emergency services when needed. Downstairs, a former guest who was sponsored and is now working with The Bridge, is also able to help those in need with things like getting coats, clothing, or soup for those in the community, as well as calling emergency services for guests of The Bridge.
The shelter has transitional housing on the second floor for people who have an active income, whether it’s from a job or Social Security. Rent for the small apartments is calculated on an individual basis, and responsibilities such as child support payments, probation or parole classes and other costs are considered so that rental rates do not exceed more than 30% of the individual’s income.
“It was anticipated that people would be in there for about two years and then move on,” Wilson said. The shelter hasn’t been able to move people out as quickly because of low set incomes, like Social Security, or they can’t pass a background check.
“They are their own little community. They want to do more for those who come into the emergency shelter,” she said. They sponsored two people last year, which meant they helped these people stay sober and improve their lives. These two people went on to have jobs.
“We have people who have been working on goals. Once the shelter closes (April through October), it’s going to be hard for them to maintain those goals,” Wilson said. The tenants and staff wanted to help people whose goals were things like sobriety, finding a job and getting into permanent housing. The summer maintenance program was started to help struggling people achieve their goals.
The program is open from mid-April to mid-October, and applicants are screened based on their three main goals that they would “not be able to maintain once the shelter closes,” according to Wilson. Those with serious goals that would improve their quality of life were allowed to enter the program and use The Bridge for the summer to continue pursuing their goals.
“We also invited people who are very fragile from our wet shelter side who really aren’t able to camp out,” Wilson said. The shelter is open every evening from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for them.
“We have shower and laundry days on Mondays for the homeless population,” Wilson said. These services are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for people to shower or wash their clothes, as well as check in with staff and get help if necessary.
The day labor coordinator works from the community to help people who are staying at The Bridge find jobs.
The coordinator also helps people find classes to get a certified nursing assistant license or a commercial driver’s license, Wilson said.
“She’s found people permanent employment,” Wilson stated.
The Bridge is an Enterprise Zone Contribution Project, now through the Department of Local Affairs and the Department of Housing. This project allows those who make a monetary donation to the shelter to receive a tax credit.
Wilson said they are always looking for donations of goods such as coffee, toilet paper and laundry soap. The cooks at The Bridge go through a lot of spaghetti sauce, and they prefer using frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables. A full list of consistently useful goods can be found on The Bridge’s website, thebridgeshelter.org.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization. Karen Sheek, a member of the LWV leadership team, stated that the mission of the organization is “to empower voters and defend democracy.”
The league also focuses on educating voters, helping them get a better understanding of ballot measures and candidates, local and national. The group also visits college campuses to encourage students to engage in politics and vote, Sheek told The Journal.
The LWV is a national organization with 19 branches in Colorado. In 2022, the branches of Southwest Colorado teamed up to work with the candidates of the 3rd Congressional District and inform voters about the election.
“The league has an excellent reputation. We are considered in many circles as being a trusted organization,” Sheek said.
