Bridge The Gap
Areas of Need
Help Local Organizations Bridge The Gap
Bridge the Gap offers the Catholic community an opportunity to connect with local groups, organizations, schools, and parishes that need additional financial resources to help with a project or program. These funds come from individuals like you – every dollar helps these ministries Bridge the Gap to meet their goals.
Do You Have Knowledge Of A Need? Let Us Know.
The Catholic Foundation takes care to ensure all organizations participating in Bridge The Gap are in alignment with Catholic teachings.
PDHC New Lancaster Location
Goal: $20,000
Raised: $0
Pregnancy Decision Health Center (PDHC) has four locations in central Ohio. It serves women during and after pregnancy, especially those facing unexpected or challenging […]
Read More »Pregnancy Decision Health Center (PDHC) has four locations in central Ohio. It serves women during and after pregnancy, especially those facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies. PDHC is moving its Lancaster location to serve more individuals and provide a more secure and safe environment for clients.
The new space is a shell that needs to be built out. PDHC has a church partner helping with the construction, but it does not cover the total cost (estimated at $120,000). The buildout includes multiple rooms: a lobby/reception area, an office for greeters and volunteers, a parenting classroom, a baby and maternity boutique, two consulting rooms, an ultrasound room, and a nurse’s office. A private bathroom for clients is also needed. There will be three storage areas for baby items, a washer/dryer space, a disinfectant station, and a small kitchenette area.
The new Lancaster location serves new moms and their babies in Franklin, Fairfield, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Perry, and Pickaway counties, all within the diocese of Columbus.
Bottoms Up Diaper Bank – Additional Transportation
Goal: $50,000
Raised: $0
Bottoms Up Diaper Bank is a non-profit organization founded in 2018 with a mission to provide clean, dry diapers to families in need in […]
Read More »Bottoms Up Diaper Bank is a non-profit organization founded in 2018 with a mission to provide clean, dry diapers to families in need in central Ohio. Since its inception, Bottoms Up has delivered more than 3 million diapers to over 70 food pantries and childcare facilities in 16 counties in Ohio, ensuring that families have access to the diapers they need to keep their children clean, dry, and healthy.
In 2024, Bottoms Up plans to double the distribution of diapers to its community partners and will need to purchase another van to accommodate the increased capacity.
Christ Child Society – Foster Hope
Goal: $24,000
Raised: $0
Since 1981, The Christ Child Society has been dedicated to showing Christ’s love for babies and children in need in the Columbus metropolitan area. […]
Read More »Since 1981, The Christ Child Society has been dedicated to showing Christ’s love for babies and children in need in the Columbus metropolitan area. In August 2023, the faith-based women’s giving circle launched the “Foster Hope” program to provide material support to foster children and their foster families.
Children placed in foster homes only have moments to decide what to bring to an unknown home with unknown parents and family. This is a tremendous amount of change and transition for anyone to endure, let alone a child.
Foster Hope will give a child a personalized duffle bag or basket, support the host family with gift cards for food, family outings, games, and other necessary items, and resource participating agencies with funds to purchase clothing and other items that benefit the foster child.
The Christ Child Society has budgeted $24,000 for the first year with the hope to reach 25 children before the end of 2023. Observing their motto “One Child at a Time,” The Christ Child Society prays each child in foster care will know our community cares and feels God’s love. Your support will help give these vulnerable children the necessities they need to ease them into their new surroundings.
Back In His Arms Again – Burial For The Needy
Goal: $17,500
Raised: $14,135
Back In His Arms Again’s mission is to honor each life with a dignified and proper burial. They currently serve between 100-120 families each […]
Read More »Back In His Arms Again’s mission is to honor each life with a dignified and proper burial. They currently serve between 100-120 families each month in the Central Ohio area, a sizable increase over last year. Franklin County has had the highest infant mortality rate in the state of Ohio for the past 50 years. This explains why many of our families are from low-income areas.
Additionally, we serve an equally high number of losses under 20 weeks gestation. As the families contacting us with financial needs continue to increase, our financial resources to assist them with a simple dignified burial are continually strained. This strain has the ministry humbly searching for additional funding resources to provide these families the opportunity to bury their infant with love and dignity following our most basic Catholic value of respecting all life from conception to natural death.
Due to our current infant death rate in Central Ohio, we are experiencing an increase in requests for financial assistance. We have projected that the actual ministry needs will exceed $50,000. Between our current funding, generous grants, and anticipated funding from our annual fundraiser and generous supporters, we are confident Back In His Arms Again can meet the increased demand for services.
Families Flourish
Goal: $75,000
Raised: $5,500
Families Flourish is a three-year program that empowers low-wage families and their children to gain economic security through affordable rental housing in neighborhoods that […]
Read More »Families Flourish is a three-year program that empowers low-wage families and their children to gain economic security through affordable rental housing in neighborhoods that offer good schools, safe outdoor environments, parks, public trails, and all the things that contribute to a joyful, nurturing childhood. In addition to providing partial rent support in higher-resourced neighborhoods, Families Flourish’s plan requires career and financial coaching and programs that give families the tools to achieve their goals.
Living in a flourishing neighborhood brings various social, emotional, and economic benefits to low-income families. Kids feel safe playing outdoors, have less environmental toxin exposure, have greater stability for the parents, and have academic achievement in higher-resourced schools, to name a few. Mixed-income neighborhoods are also beneficial for the children of higher-income families, according to research from Harvard’s Raj Chetty.
Move to PROSPER, now known as Families Flourish, was founded in 2016. Pilot families raised their incomes by 58%, or $17,000 on average, and improved their mental and physical health. Families Flourish started at Ohio State and is growing to support more families, now as an independent nonprofit. The group’s 2023 operational goal is $700,000 to keep expansion on pace to serve 100 families. Families Flourish is committed to supporting low-income families and giving a kid a zip code with endless possibilities.
