Jennifer surrounded by her sponsoring church, Bethany Bible Church (now Phoenix Bible Church), on the day she graduated from The Bridge to Hope.

Jennifer
February 22, 2006 through May 12, 2008

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

I was raised in a Christian home and attended Christian School from preschool to third grade. However, both of my parents struggled with drugs, primarily pot. By the time, I was 3 years old, my parents had separated.  I went back and forth between them until I was 12 years old, and then I lived full time with my Dad, largely because I couldn’t get along with my mother.

I moved 7-8 times during my childhood. Moving a lot as a kid is hard because you never know if this is really your home or if you are going to suddenly must up and leave again. I started drinking at 14 and experimenting with drugs at age 16. Within a year I was playing around with meth.  I tried it because my best friend had started using.

Before long I was fully addicted and my relationship with my parents and others degenerated greatly. I continued to abuse drugs and was in an abusive, unhealthy relationship with a man until I was 28. I was not doing anything with my life. I was just living in that ugly lifestyle.

I believed in God but definitely wasn’t walking close to him. I lived with my dad till I was 23 years old. He moved to Arizona and met my step mom, while I continued to live in California. Today I am thankful that both my parents are sober and have been for a long time. However, as they became sober I continued to abuse drugs. I did not care about anything much and certainly did not care about myself.

In 2012 I entered a rehab in California with hope of becoming sober for approximately two years.  However, the love of my life, a man named Keith, passed away from alcoholism.  I relapsed, quit my job, stopped attending college, and my life went on a fast-downward spiral. I hung around with the wrong crowd and used meth, staying up for 5-6 days at a time, until I became very sick. On April 5, 2014 I went with a friend to sell two ounces of meth in Bullhead City.  I was arrested and by the grace of God was only charged with a misdemeanor. That night forever changed my life. I have been sober ever since.

I have lived here in Arizona since that night. My family helped me find a women’s Christian shelter in Phoenix.  I was blessed to have a place to receive support in my recovery and encouragement in my walk with God.  I successfully completed the program.  However, I met a man in the men’s program and became pregnant with my son, Keith Tyler, who though he was born not in the best of circumstances, I see as my gift from God.  Even though Keith and I were safe at the shelter it was just that, a shelter.  This shelter was intended for women only, not women with children.  Worse, the shelter struggled with such an infestation of bed bugs that my son was being eaten alive. Slowly I was becoming engulfed with depression and hopelessness not being able to find a home for myself and Keith. Then one day a woman, who graduated 20 years ago from The Bridge (now, the Bridge to Hope), told me about their ministry.  I found the number and called. Amy Sue’s voice was like that of an angel when she said the magic words “we have an opening”. I get chills just thinking about it. I did a phone interview, filled out the application and within a week I had a home.  I was accepted in to The Bridge to Hope.

On that day, July 2, 2015 my son and I had a home, a two-bedroom apartment fully furnished ready for us.  I was ecstatic. My church and church team were amazing. I fell in love with them quickly. Because I so wanted to make a life for Keith and I stayed determined to follow the program and what it had to offer. Shortly afterwards I got my first job working as a kennel technician at a kennel for dogs for a few months.  I love and always had a passion for animals so this was amazing.  The Lord then opened another door, working as a Barista.  There I received the employee of the month award.  I really loved and enjoyed my job.  During this time, I also became very involved with the ministry Beyond Fear to Freedom.  I received mentoring and support through BFF, and today I am table leader for other women.  The Lord brought Christine into my life through BFF.  We became close friends.  Christine worked for a law firm as a paralegal. She introduced to her friend, now my friend and my new boss. You heard it right I got hired as a file clerk at the law firm. God is so good to me.

I gained so much during my time at The Bridge to Hope. I took care of all my debt to court and all my outstanding bills. I obtained my driver’s license which I had never had.  I am not saying I never drove, I just never drove legally!  I purchased a car for me and my son to get to work, daycare and all the other fun activities that are open to you when you have a vehicle. I also was able to accumulate an amazing savings. I graduated from The Bridge to Hope September 3, 2016.  Since then I have moved into my beautiful 2-bedroom apartment which I really love and where I feel safe. My relationships with my family have been fully restored. I made really amazing friendships with those at my church, the First Southern Baptist Church of Scottsdale, as well as at BFF and certainly with other Bridge mom’s.

I continue to attend BFF and am a member of my sponsoring church FSBCS.  My desire is to move up with my employer, and maybe one day own a home. If God wills it, I’d love to find a Godly man that can be a father figure in Keith’s life.  I mostly just enjoy spending time with my son and all the blessings God bestows on me on a daily basis. – Amber

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

Melissa abused drugs her entire young life. These drugs told her lies and stole her dreams. It took DCS (formerly CPS) removing her two older children from her care to motivate Melissa to get sober. She was in the midst of a severance trial prior to entering The Bridge, and she came to The Bridge to learn how to live life sober and create a new future.

Eight months after entering The Bridge Melissa celebrated the return of her children to her care when the court reversed the severance. It was one more victory on her path to wholeness and healing. The Bridge assisted her in preparing to receive the children in her home, and learn how to move forward without hating herself for the time she lost with them. While with The Bridge, Melissa obtained her GED and received her education in Administrative Assistant Training.

Today she is in stable housing, providing for her family as a single mother.  She is also a member of First Southern Baptist Church of Scottsdale, the church that sponsored and mentored her when she was at The Bridge.  We look forward to seeing Melissa continue to grow and blossom on this journey she’s chosen to take.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.                                                                                                2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

I entered The Bridge in December 11, 2010. When I entered The Bridge I didn’t have my daughter in my care and had no reliable source of income. Though The Bridge I was able to go to school for Peer Support Training and now have a steady job in the behavioral health field. Also through The Bridge, I was able to get my daughter back in my care and learn healthy parenting techniques.

Leah, Bridge Mother & Graduate

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

Share in Jessica’s journey of restoration from homelessness to wholeness as she was loving sponsored by her B2H mentor team from La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church located in Scottsdale Arizona.

The Bridge to Hope is a transformational housing ministry for homeless single mothers and their children.

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

My story is not extraordinary, for I am not extraordinary, but God is, and of this I am confident.

My daughter Sarah and I entered in the Bridge during December 2007 and we were trying to find safety from a very deep and controlling individual…Sarah’s father.

While I was married to her father, everything seemed perfect until he started showing his true colors. His aggression was not physical; it was mental and controlling in a scary way. He controlled my life, phone calls, clothes, food, money and the most painful of his “things” he tried to control was my little baby girl.

I changed from a very colorful, bubbly and smart person to a bitter, suspicious and fearful person. I started thinking that I was not intelligent or capable to the point that I could not think clearly in order to solve problems. I was not permitted to drive, which made his power over us grow. I was never able to go to the grocery store by myself, go shopping without supervision or be a normal mother to Sarah. I was prohibited from locking the bathroom door because he had to know exactly what was going on at all times and I had to ask permission to do anything.

I started to get sick often, gain weight abnormally, my face was covered with acne from the stress and I had no energy. My permanent state was depression and fear. My daughter was the only reason to keep going.

I thought I was doing ok and that sacrificing myself, my emotional stability and my entire life was the right thing to do to keep things “normal”, so that my daughter could live a reasonably “normal home”. I felt trapped inside my body and unable to do anything, because when you are mentally controlled, you become a follower; you are owned.

In October 2007 the situation was out of control and after he left for work very early in the morning, I hid in the bathroom to pray because I was under surveillance – always. It was still dark and a little chilly outside, my daughter was asleep. The Lord spoke to me like never before …Get out of here!!!!

I packed the most I could into plastic bags and took my sleeping baby into my arms, called the police and got out of that house feeling the most fear I have ever felt in my life. I knew I was doing the right thing.

I found a domestic violence shelter to stay in temporarily. Desperate to get a place to live, the case manager provided me with a list of transitional housing programs. I applied for every single one. No one called me. I couldn’t stay any longer at the shelter and the divorce proceedings had started. With no job, money or place to stay with my baby, my only option was to return to the man I had escaped from – my husband. Finally Amy Sue, from The Bridge, called me for a phone screening interview. I thought – What took you so long????!!!! I went to bed that night excited, but scared because if I didn’t receive that call the very next day, I would have no choice but to return to my husband.

The next call I received asking, “Are you ready to move to The Bridge?”

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458

My name is Crystal.  I am a mother of three, a recovering addict, an ex-offender and a graduate of The Bridge to Hope.   At age 19 I experienced homelessness for the first of many times.

I knew I was serious about changing my life the day I was released from jail. I had nowhere to go; CPS had custody of my child and was 7 months pregnant.  I had no one.

The only thing I had was the clothes on my back, 4 months of sobriety and hope.

My hope was that there was a better way to live.

I didn’t know where to start. So I started with my probation officer.

I was placed in the hands of NCADD.  I was able to enter their halfway house for pregnant women.  I gave birth to my third son and he was immediately removed and placed into a foster home by CPS.  I applied for housing at The Bridge to Hope.  I needed a place to live.  But more than that, I needed a home where CPS would be willing to return my children.

At first I was reluctant to enter The Bridge to Hope because of my uncertainty of religion because of my past experiences with God.  I grew up in a home with a fearful and shame based and demanding God. And that’s all I knew.

But I allowed myself to be open and gave it a chance.

I entered The Bridge to Hope July 2012. From the start I was shown love and acceptance.

The Bridge to Hope helped in getting my younger children returned to me by providing a home for all of us.  I also have an older son, Damien.  The Bridge to Hope supported me by allowing Damien to come over and have overnight visits, which was great because I was able to continue being part of his life and rebuilding a relationship with him that was strained because of my past substance use and reckless behavior.  Plus, Damien had an opportunity to grow in his relationship with his brothers.

I was given a chance to work on my recovery and grew immensely. I was afforded the opportunity to participate in a training course which I received certification as a Peer Support Specialist, which opened doors for employment through sharing my life experience with others.

What stands out to me the most is what the many people from the B2H did to support me.  I had been in The Bridge to Hope for four months when an old charge resurfaced.   I again was faced with consequences of my past behavior.  I was facing one year of prison, and knew I would lose my children.

The Bridge to Hope went with me to all my court hearings and gave me courage to show the courts what I had accomplished.  In the end, I was sentenced to four months’ Work Furlough in Tent City allowing me to maintain my employment and have visits with my children.

I imagined this sentence meant I would be released from The Bridge to Hope, essentially becoming homeless once again.  However, because The Bridge to Hope operates with compassion, my home was saved for me.

This may seem trivial, but honestly one of my biggest fears of going back to jail was eating jail food…sober.  It brought me back to a place of hopelessness and I didn’t know if I could survive it emotionally.

My church team from La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, Sallie, Amy Sue, as well as mentors from the other church teams provided me lunch each work day.  It wasn’t just lunch they brought though, it was support and encouragement that kept me motivated to keep pushing through the tough time and the hope that eventually this would pass.

During my journey through B2H I have achieved countless successes.  I earned back the privilege of being a mother to my boys and my CPS case was closed.  This is a miracle in itself because Brandon was taken from me at birth and I was facing severance of JJ.  I have made financial amends. I was able to save a substantial amount of money to pay off past debts like unpaid phone bills, evictions, and fines.

My greatest achievement was moving into my own home after graduating and I am able to call it home.

With the guidance of B2H I was able to see another form of God that allows forgiveness acceptance and love. With all that said, I would like to thank the B2H.  Their support has allowed me the opportunity to have a fresh start in raising my family and starting over. Without this program I would not be where I am today.  And for that I am truly grateful, Crystal

The Bridge to Hope, Inc.

A Transformational Housing Ministry for homeless single mothers.

Address: 1815 W. Missouri Ave #105
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: 602.589.5556 (Phone & Fax)

Email: info@b2hope.org

Business Hours: 8:30a-3:00p M-F,
or by Appointment

501(c)3: 45-4352239
AZ Tax Credit QCO: 20458