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Maria Toledo, Director, The Bridge Fund of New York City
Maria Toledo, Director
The Bridge Fund of New York City

photo: Ken Ben-Ari
105 East 22nd Street
Suite 621
New York, NY 10010

 

Last Year We...

  • prevented 750 evictions
  • helped 1,690 people
  • handled 8,575 requests for assistance

Of our income in 2011, we spent:

  • 90% on client services
  •  7.2% on administration
  •   2.8% on fund raising

2011 Budget Counseling

  • Provided 5,738 hours of budget counseling
  • Conducted 29 Money Management Workshops
  • Referred 28 clients to the tax preparation program of the Food Bank of New York City and sent out 905 fliers about tax preparation services in NYC
  • Helped clients arrange online payment of rent and/or open bank accounts
  • Enrolled clients in e-Budgeting

The Bridge Fund of New York City

A Program of The Bridge Fund of New York Inc.

We are happy that some of our clients are now working but take little comfort in knowing that too many families and individuals in New York City are either still unemployed, underemployed, or already in the municipal shelter system. In fact, in 2011, a record number of individuals -- more than 41,000 -- resided in the municipal shelter system. Almost 17,000 of them were children who, along with their families, spent an average of 11 months in a shelter, the longest average stay in recorded history.

This increase in shelter placement and the continuing demand for Bridge Fund services can be attributed, in great part, to the persistently weak economy and the reduced role of government assistance to the poor. By the end of 2011, the unemployment rate in New York City hovered at about 9 percent; today, it stands at 9.7%, up from 8.8% last year at this time. Sadly, because of the bad economy, the city has had to terminate its $200 million-a-year rent subsidy program for formerly homeless families, while the federal government has reduced funding for the Emergency Food & Shelter Program and other housing initiatives.

Despite these and other challenges, The Bridge Fund of New York City has not wavered in its commitment to the working poor and others who have done much to make our city great, including retirees and veterans. The following figures show just how many needy and deserving families and individuals were aided by the program during 2011.

The Bridge Fund of New York City staff

The Bridge Fund of New York City
Program Activity 2011


      1. Assistance may be loans or grants, critical information and referrals, budget counseling.
      2. Bridge Fund households can receive a combination of loans and grants.
      3. Networked Funding is secured by The Bridge Fund partnering with other agencies.
      4. Clients' Contributions: Money accumulated by client, but insufficient to resolve housing crisis.
      5. Repayments: Clients can repay as little as $5 per month upto $100 per month.

Our Clients are

Home health aides Janitors

Security guards

Childcare providers

Ushers

Factory workers

Telephone operators

Cooks

Customer service representatives

Teachers

School aides

Lab technicians

Drivers

Store clerks

Messengers

Fitness instructors

Housekeepers

Medical assistants

__________________
In NYC, our average assistance is $1,731 per household.

Our clients pay 39% of their net income on rent

Of our clients, 35% are children.

Client Demographics:

  • 71% African/American
  • 20% Hispanic
  • 7% Caucasian
  • 2% Asian, Other

Advisory Committee

Gregory Floyd
President, City Employees Union Local 237

Angela Hollis, MBA
President Hollis Group, LLC; Formerly Director of Advancement, New York City Mission Society

Pritpal Kochbar
Property Management

Douglass Seidman
Attorney, The Legal Aid Society

Wingson Wong
Coordinator of Community Relations, Division of Institutional Advancement, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Erika Wood
Attorney, New York University Law School

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2012The Bridge Fund of New York Inc.