The Bridge Marks 23 Years for Annual Sleepout

For the 23rd year, the Bridge of the Penn York Valley Churches will bring awareness to the Valley’s needs during the annual Sleepout, set for Nov. 28-29 in Sayre, Pa.

Volunteers from the Bridge will occupy a makeshift shelter at 105 Desmond St. in the parking lot of the Guthrie offices for 24 hours. Visitors will find them weathering the cold as a public reminder that there are families in the Valley that don’t have a warm home, enough to eat, or money to pay their bills for basic needs.

Volunteers will staff the shelter from 3 p.m. on Nov. 28, during the Valley’s annual Christmas parade, and then through the night until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.

The Bridge, a consortium of 24 Valley area churches with the mission of “bridging the gaps of life in the name of Jesus Christ,” is a unique ministry spanning three counties and two states, helping residents in the Waverly, Sayre, and Athens school districts.

The Sleepout is the organization’s major fundraiser for the year, supporting numerous programs.

The Clearinghouse provides information on Bridge resources and coordinates the Cash Voucher Emergency Assistance Program, which offers financial assistance to individuals who need help with housing costs, utilities, or other emergency needs. Last year, over $98,000 in cash assistance helped Valley residents meet basic needs. The Catastrophic and Interim Assistance programs address situations that require more than a one-time voucher.

Several ministries offer direct goods and services at no cost. Their services are far-reaching and made possible by generous donations from the community.

Helping Hands, located at 406 Loder St., Waverly, provides furniture and small household items. A limited variety of medical equipment is also available. Monthly appointments and voucher fulfillments number around a dozen.

The Clothes Closet, located at the North Waverly Chapel, 40 State Route 34, Waverly, offers clothes, shoes, and household items. Last month alone, nearly 2,300 items (1,600 in clothing and 700 household items) were distributed to nearly 150 families. The Clothes Closet relies on donations to serve residents of the Valley.

The Valley Food Pantry and the Mobile Food Pantry tackle hunger in our communities. Each month, the Mobile Food Pantry, powered by 30 volunteers, serves up to 250 families during its drive-through operation on the third Wednesday of each month.

The North Waverly Chapel on Rt. 34 hosts the mobile pantry; residents pre-register for the food, which includes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, and dairy items.

The Valley Food Pantry, located at 418 Waverly St., Waverly, supplements food needs once a month. It’s open five days a week for two to four hours each time, as well as on the third Saturday of each month. In September of this year, the Valley Food Pantry provided food to more than 220 households, serving 650 people.

The Kids at Risk program focuses on the needs of area school children in the Athens, Sayre, and Waverly school districts and at Grace Christian Academy. Teachers, nurses, social workers, and instructional support teams at the schools identify children’s needs for clothing, personal hygiene items, school supplies, and/or services. In September, the ministry helped more than 200 students, many of whom received new shoes.

Likewise, the Eldercare helps with the needs of residents in local nursing facilities, personal care residences, and at home. Clothing, personal hygiene, and some medical equipment needs are met; the ministry’s outreach routinely touches more than two dozen seniors each month.

Offered periodically, Faith and Finances is a Biblically-based course that offers instruction and guidance on managing money and relationships. From creating a budget to managing savings to long-term planning, the 12-week course teaches practical strategies for earning, saving, spending, and giving.

Information about these and other Bridge ministries will be available at the Sleepout. For more information about the event or to volunteer, email sleepout@thevalleybridge.org or call or text Kim Paul at (570) 867-2628. For more about the Bridge and its programs, visit valleybridge.org.

Donations for the Sleepout and Bridge ministries can be mailed to The Bridge, P.O. Box 202, Sayre, Pa. 18840, or done online with PayPal, debit, or credit card.