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.
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: $11,610
Back In His Arms Again’s mission is to honor each life with a dignified and proper burial. We 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. We currently serve between 100-120 families each month in the Central Ohio area which is a sizable increase over last year. Franklin county has the highest infant mortality rate in the state of Ohio, in fact, it is the highest infant mortality rate experienced in 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 continues to increase, our financial resources to assist them with a simple dignified burial is 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 in accordance with 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 of requests for financial assistance. We have projected the actual ministry needs will exceed $50,000 and 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.
Move to PROSPER
Goal: $75,000
Raised: $0
Move To PROSPER is a three-year program that empowers low-wage families and their children to gain economic security through affordable rental housing in neighborhoods […]
Read More »Move To PROSPER 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 environments to play outdoors, 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, MTP’s program requires career and financial coaching and programs that give families the tools to achieve their goals.
Living in a flourishing neighborhood brings a variety of social, emotional, and economic benefits to a low-income family. Kids feel safe playing outdoors; less environmental toxin exposure; greater stability for the parents; and academic achievement in higher-resourced schools, just 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 was founded in 2016. Pilot families raised their incomes by 58%, or $17,000 on average, and improved their mental and physical health. Move to PROSPER 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. Move to PROSPER is committed to supporting low-income families and giving a kid a zip code with endless possibilities.
