“CarePortal isn’t just a tool; it’s a lifeline. CarePortal meets families' needs in ways I could never achieve alone. Knowing there's a compassionate community out there, eager to uplift the families I serve, fills me with immense strength, hope, and joy. CarePortal’s reach extends even further than the direct support to families; it has also profoundly impacted me personally. When I've faced personal challenges, like being ill, I've received heartfelt messages and prayers. There was a particularly difficult week when I was grieving the tragic passing of close family friends. Two responders, completely unaware of my personal struggle, reached out, simply asking how they could pray for me. Their thoughtful compassion offered a profound comfort during a challenging time, truly showcasing the supportive community CarePortal fosters for both families and caseworkers. CarePortal is a light in the darkness to child welfare workers.”

-Taylor Collins, SafeCare Lead Parent Educator with the Safe Children Coalition

Recently, individuals from local child serving agencies, churches, businesses, and the community who care about our most vulnerable children gathered to celebrate “5 Years of CarePortal in Circuit 12!” It was a sweet time of reflection, celebration, and gratitude for the impact this program has had on so many.

A Tremendous Start

When our network met its very first CarePortal request on June 4, 2021, no one knew just how profoundly, or how quickly, it would transform our community! You rejoiced with us when a case study by the Safe Children’s Coalition, Circuit 12’s

We are thrilled to announce that Bridge a Life has been named the 2026 Best of SRQ Bronze Winner for Best Local Children's Nonprofit!

This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes from the community we are privileged to serve every day. We are deeply grateful to everyone who voted for Bridge a Life and who continues to support our mission to provide Christ-centered hope for children with relational trauma through awareness and family support.

At Bridge a Life, we believe every child deserves a safe, nurturing environment where they can thrive. Through foster care support, family preservation initiatives, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement, we work to strengthen families and create brighter futures for who come from hard places.

This award is a reflection of the incredible people who make our vision possible. It belongs to the foster families who open their homes and hearts, the volunteers who generously give their time, the donors and community partners who invest in lasting change, and the dedicated team members who serve children and families with compassion every day.

Being recognized as one of SRQ's Best Local Children's Nonprofits spurs us on to expand our impact and continue advocating for the needs of children throughout our community. While we celebrate this achievement, we remain focused on the work ahead and the many children and families who still need support, connection, and hope.

We are honored by this recognition and thankful to stand alongside so many organizations working to make our community stronger. Most

Help Us Reach Our Year-End Goal: Join Our Monthly Donor Program!

As we approach the end of the year, we’re excited to share a new way you can support Bridge a Life and help us make a lasting impact on children and families in Circuit 12. We’ve launched our Monthly Donor Progress Tracker, and we need YOUR help to fill it up! 🧩

Every month, your donation will fuel our efforts to provide trauma-informed training and community-building events for families who care for children from hard places. By becoming a monthly donor, you're directly supporting these programs, helping them grow, and expanding their reach throughout the tri-county area.

Why Monthly Giving Matters
Monthly donations are vital to sustaining the work we do. They allow us to plan ahead, knowing we have a consistent stream of support that will continue to make a difference throughout the year. Whether your gift is $10, $25, $50, or more, it adds up and helps us continue offering hope and healing where it's needed most.

We’ve set a goal to fill up our Monthly Donor Progress Tracker by the end of the year, and we’re asking you to join us in reaching that goal. Your donation helps us move one step closer to expanding our programs and services to support even more families.

How It Works
Take a look at our Monthly Donor Progress Tracker below! Every donation fills one of the boxes and brings us closer to our goal. Whether you give

2023 at a glance

Ever since becoming an official non-profit, the Board of Directors has always held in high regard its responsibility as the "gatekeeper" of Bridge a Life's mission and vision. We have taken our role very seriously over the last decade while doing everything we could to be involved on a daily and detailed basis as each Board Member managed careers in other sectors. Our desire has always been for kids from hard places and their families to have everything they need to be set up for the best outcomes. We have done well through the years but we know there is always room to grow.

With that said, the Board has come to a place that we believe the mission and vision should be entrusted to our FIRST EVER Executive Director, Jody Jester! Jody is in her 9th year with Bridge a Life and has done so much incredible work for us during that time we know how well she'll lead us into a better tomorrow for the children and families we are blessed to serve. It's been a long time coming but we wanted to make sure those who were unaware of this announcement can congratulate Jody the next time you see her.

~ Danny Jones, Bridge a Life Co-Founder and Board Chair

Each year the Safe Children Coalition, our region's lead foster care licensing agency, hosts a Giving Breakfast which honors three Champions for Children. These are individuals or agencies that have made significant contributions towards the wellbeing of our community's young people. This week the 2025 breakfast was announced and Bridge a Life was named as the nonprofit partner honoree!

We are delighted to be recognized as a key contributor to our circuit's child welfare community and honored to stand alongside others who make our world a better place for children and families. If you are interested in joining us at the Giving Breakfast, you can learn more here. 

Each year the Safe Children Coalition, our region's lead foster care licensing agency, hosts a Giving Breakfast which honors three Champions for Children. These are individuals or agencies that have made significant contributions towards the wellbeing of our community's young people. This week the 2025 breakfast was announced and Bridge a Life was named as the nonprofit partner honoree!

We are delighted to be recognized as a key contributor to our circuit's child welfare community and honored to stand alongside others who make our world a better place for children and families. If you are interested in joining us at the Giving Breakfast, you can learn more here. 

Last week Bridge a Life received word that we had been selected to receive a grant from the Florida Disaster Relief Fund to assist the families we serve with hurricane recovery.

We were honored to stand alongside other hardworking, compassionate nonprofit partners who, like Bridge a Life, are positioned to quickly and effectively meet the needs of people who have been negatively impacted by these storms.

In the days leading up to Hurricane Milton making landfall, we worked alongside other child welfare agencies to create a shared database of families with whom we engage. This allowed us to streamline our communication efforts after the storm and share the load of touching base with families. Nearly 200 families received a personal call and we are grateful to report that every family made it through the storm safely. Most commonly we heard that power was lost, resulting in all cold food needing to be disposed of. Additionally, many people lost trees, sections of fence, and shingles. Some had more significant damage to their pool cage, roof, or vehicle. Many lost income due to businesses being closed.

We're grateful to have funds available to quickly address the needs of families while pointing them towards sustainable community resources. We understand that FEMA applications and insurance claims take time and we're fortunate to be positioned to help families bridge the gap and stand with them during uncertain times.

Since Hurricane Ian hit in 2022, Bridge a Life has been able to support over 90 individual