Project Description
The Darwin Project provides annual funding to Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Bridge is dedicated to helping runaway, homeless, and high-risk youth through safe, encouraging relationships and effective services that guide each youth toward a stable adulthood. Bridge’s proven and innovative services are delivered through an effective continuum of care model, welcoming all youth “where they’re at” and guiding them to self-sufficiency. Programs provide youth with essential help, ranging from short-term, survival aid services (street outreach, mobile medical van, in-house medical clinics, drop-in hours for laundry, showers and food), to longer term, life-skill building residential programming (transitional housing programs for youth and supportive housing for young mothers and their children) that recognizes past trauma and prepares youth to become independent adults. At all points along this continuum, youth have access to ongoing counseling, educational opportunities and career services at Bridge’s easily accessible, downtown Boston location.
How Are We Involved?
The Darwin Project provides general annual grants to Bridge, but also supports specific unfunded projects. In 2020 we are funding a case manager necessary to support Bridge’s Rapid Rehousing Program. In 2019 we supported a Northeastern University work co-op student who assisted Bridge in updating their technology systems, Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) data collecting systems reporting, operationalizing workflows, and other systems which are not direct client assistance, but critical for Bridge to comply with state and federal funding requirements, and to provide necessary measurable outcomes data on the success of their programs.
