Giving Tuesday: Help Us Expand Trauma-Responsive Training
The first $5000 raised will be matched by Grace Community Church!
Your Gift Offers Hope and Healing
Circuit 12 consists of Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto Counties and is the geographic region where Bridge a Life serves. If you have ever driven from North Port to West Bradenton to Arcadia, you understand how expansive our region is! One of Bridge a Life's goals, born from our annual Strategic Planning session, is to improve accessibility of our program array. This requires us to increase our church/business partners and volunteers in every area of Circuit 12, which we began laying the groundwork for this year.
Through data collection and caregiver feedback, we know that trauma-responsive training is the most impactful way we support families. For the last eight years we have offered The Gathering once a month, typically in the Bradenton/Central Sarasota area. The Gathering offers trauma-informed training for caregivers and includes dinner and childcare (which fills up quickly!). This year we discovered that Venice families were driving to West Bradenton on a school night with a car full of kiddos to attend The Gathering (approx 40 miles)! While we are thrilled that families place such high value on attending, we knew it was time to offer The Gathering in Sarasota's South County. In 2024 we began laying the groundwork to build connections and pilot three trainings in Venice. In 2025 we plan to offer The Gathering in South County every month while maintaining a monthly Gathering further north. Your gift to Bridge a Life during Giving Tuesday helps us double our caregiver training impact!
Why Trauma-Informed Training?
In our region there are over 700 children in out-of-home care, which includes traditional foster care, kinship care, non-relative care, and children who live in group homes. Additionally, there are children who have been adopted and are not involved in the child welfare system. Every single one of these children have experienced trauma simply by being separated from their first caregiver. Most of those children also experienced trauma as a result of abuse or neglect. This kind of complex developmental trauma, or "relational" trauma, can deeply impact a child's well-being. The effects can be body-damaging and result in behaviors and beliefs that are difficult to navigate. Parenting through a trauma-informed lens flips the script on traditional caregiving and highlights the importance of building strong connections and trust rather than simply focusing on behavioral outcomes.
Our Impact
Last year, Bridge a Life offered trauma-informed training to nearly 200 families at The Gathering. After training, 95% of attendees felt more confident in their parenting, 99% felt more connected to the foster/adoptive community, and 96% increased their knowledge of other community agencies.
Your Support Makes It Possible
Every dollar you donate helps us provide trauma-responsive services to local families. For example:
- For $70, four families can attend The Gathering, trauma-responsive training that equips caregivers & builds community.
- For $250, eight families can attend Parents Night Out, offering kids a fun evening with trained volunteers while caregivers enjoy a little rest & relaxation.
- For $1000, four families can attend Family Camp which strengthens connection & teaches new skills.
Thank you for partnering with us to offer accessible services to families who are caring for kids from hard places! Remember, the first $5000 we receive for Giving Tuesday will be matched by Grace Community Church!
Any Donation of $50 or more will receive a limited edition 2024 Bridge a Life T-shirt, exclusive to Giving Tuesday Donors!