Above / Recent gift of $13,500 from Naperville Junior Woman’s Club brings total to $26,000 in support of Bridge Communities since 2017. Amy Van Polen, Bridge Communities Senior Director, accepted the big check from Renee Jacques, 2018 NJWC Club President, during a monthly NJWC meeting at Hopwine Brewing Co. (Photo by Norma Gowdy)
Naperville Junior Woman’s Club (NJWC) donated $13,500 to Bridge Communities during a presentation to Senior Director Amy Van Polen, CFRE, during the service club’s monthly meeting in February.
In 2017, Bridge Communities was selected by NJWC membership as their Community Improvement Project where fundraising efforts by the Club benefited the charity’s programs through 2018. The recent grant brings the total donation from the two years to $26,000.
The recent donation was the result of several fundraising efforts by NJWC including a Cinco de Mayo May 2018, Ladies Night Out in November 2018, and individual donations from club members.
Bridge Communities was founded with the goal “to take individuals who are homeless and place them in a stable home, allowing parents to breathe, reset and relaunch,” Van Polen said at the check presentation.
“We are so thankful for groups like NJWC to partner with us as we rely on community volunteerism and funding to house and mentor more than 130 homeless families,” Van Polen added. “We are going to miss our close partnership of the past two years, but know our relationship will continue.”
Former NJWC President Renee Jacques summed it up by stating, “We had an incredible past couple years working with Bridge (Communities). It was an honor to provide not only financial contributions to their organization but provide volunteer services as well. We had fun, were hands on, and we raised money for an incredible organization.”
Naperville Junior Woman’s Club welcomes new members
The Naperville Junior Woman’s Club is looking for energetic, enthusiastic women to join its membership. Every year NJWC members give thousands of hours of service to the community and thousands of dollars to various charitable organizations including Safety Town. For more information, visit www.napervillejuniors.org.
Bridge Communities
The mission of Bridge Communities is to transition homeless families to self-sufficiency by working with partners to provide mentoring, housing, and supportive services. Bridge partners with dozens of local churches, community groups, and businesses to provide a comprehensive program for homeless families in DuPage County.
Story and photo submitted by Norma Gowdy, publicist for the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club.
