Since 1987, Bridging has helped ease the transition of unexpected moves for hundreds of thousands of families in the suburban Twin Cities
By Patricia Hoffman
Every week, 120 families take home a houseful of love.
Gently used furniture and other household items no longer needed by homeowners find their way to Bridging, a Roseville organization where volunteers help clients choose among a vast array of donated items to transform a house into a home.
This adds up to 5,500 households each year, with a side-benefit of 14 million pounds of household items being kept out of a landfill. To date, they have served over 150,000 families.
Bridging has been expanding its reach in its 38 years of existence, with pick up and drop off locations in Roseville and Bloomington and a new location in Plymouth.
Founder Fran Heitzman was a maintenance worker at Pax Christi Church in Eden Prairie when someone dropped off an unwanted but serviceable crib, thinking the church might know who could use one.
While no one in the church needed the crib, Heitzman eventually found a home for it. This got him thinking that there must be an abundance of furniture people no longer had use for but was still serviceable and would be appreciated by someone else. Thus began the Bridging mission of making sure families in need have a furnished home.
Volunteer Donald Gault said he was looking for a way to make a difference in people’s lives after he retired from the Ramsey County Department of Health. He was running an errand when he saw a delivery truck emblazoned with the tagline “Furnishing Homes with Hope.” Curious, he noted the website and called the next day.
That was two-and-a-half years ago. Today, he couldn’t imagine going without his role as a volunteer shopper two-to-three times a week to help a family in need decide how they’ll furnish their home. For some, this is the first time they’ve been given the dignity of choice, and both dignity and choice are the mantra for those working at Bridging.
Clients find their way to either the Roseville or Bloomington location after being referred by one of the 270 partner agencies who work with Bridging. They receive an appointment time and are then able to go through the warehouse and select from dressers, tables, couches, chairs, dishes, towels, coffee pots, lamps and so much more.
For Gault, his favorite stop is the art department. While most people understand everyone needs a bed, we are less inclined to realize that beauty is an equally important part of a home.
He is frequently surprised by what a client will choose, such as the newly arrived immigrant from Afghanistan who resonated with the welcoming beauty of a print of a pristine lake with
“MINNESOTA” imprinted underneath. Another woman who had lost everything when she had to flee a domestic abuse situation gasped and began to cry when she saw three ceramic giraffes that were exactly like some she had left behind. The tables and chairs she received were greatly appreciated, but the figurines were treasured.
It’s stories like these that keep the 40 staff and 400 plus volunteers enthusiastically showing up.
Opportunities for volunteers vary, but any first-time worker will participate in shopping with a client and a drop-off delivery of chosen items. The intent is that volunteers understand the impact their service has on clients.
Volunteer jobs range from accepting and sorting donations, testing and minor repairs of electrical items, working as a shopper who helps clients pick out their items, wood workers who repurpose items and delivery workers who make sure everything chosen is delivered the next day.
Besides individual volunteers, many groups such as scouts, churches or other volunteer organizations choose to do service projects with Bridging. Numerous businesses also connect with team-building volunteer experiences for their employees, with a favorite being a “dresser build” where new dressers are assembled from kits.
The comment often heard from many volunteers is the profound tangible impact of seeing your service make an immediate difference in someone’s life.
One volunteer noted how working at Bridging has increased his empathy for people who have little or nothing, yet act with grace, such as a woman who lost everything in a house fire. While she was choosing her items she remarked several times, “That looks nice, but I want someone who needs it more than me to take it.” If you have a question about whether or not to donate an item, ask yourself, “Is this something I’d give to someone I care about?” If the answer is “yes” it would be welcomed at Bridging and would find a wonderful new home.
Donations are accepted at all three Bridging locations Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Roseville location is at 1730 Terrace Drive. You can also request a pick-up of your items for a fee of $150.
For more information about Bridging, including how to volunteer or support the organization by attending their Gala October 3rd at St. Paul River Center or their annual Bed Race in March at Buck Hill, go to https://bridging.org/
