[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE BRIDGE FUND

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                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                           HON. SUE W. KELLY

                              of new york

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                      Saturday, September 28, 1996

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, My colleagues, Representive Sue Kelly and 
Eliot Engel, join me in paying tribute to the Bridge Fund, an 
innovative service organization in Westchester Country that was founded 
6 years ago to prevent homelessness.
  The Bridge Fund receives referrals of individuals and families in 
danger of eviction or foreclosure from a wide range of social service 
and community organizations in the county. The Bridge Fund offers these 
individuals financial assistance, interest-free loans and grants, and 
intensive counseling.
  The average cost to the Bridge Fund for preventing a family or 
individual from becoming homeless is approximately $1,000. By 
comparison, the average expense for maintaining a family in the public 
shelter system of Westchester County is $4,000 per month. Since the 
average stay in the shelter system is now 37 months, the total cost of 
keeping a family in the shelter system for the average stay could be 
$148,000--more than the Bridge Fund's total net outlays last year. 
Prevention of homelessness is a great investment for our community. The 
work of the Bridge Fund makes fiscal sense, and it makes humanitarian 
sense.
  Currently the Bridge Fund is offering a number of critical services 
to the residents of Westchester County. The Bridge Fund runs a food 
pantry with the support of the Jewish Community center of White Plains. 
The food pantry assists families with food staples in times of crisis 
so they can continue to pay their rent.
  The Bridge Fund also runs several mentoring programs. A budget 
mentoring program teaches families budgeting skills, and ensures a 
stable environment by helping them keep their finances in order. And 
the Bridge Fund's client mentoring program allows them to follow up 
with the families they assist. These follow-up visits have shown that 
over 90 percent of families helped by the Bridge Fund remained in the 
housing the Bridge Fund preserved for them.
  The Bridge Fund has provided a critical service to Westchester 
County's families through their innovative approach to preventing 
homelessness. We are proud to pay tribute to the Bridge Fund for its 
efforts to combat homelessness on our streets.

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