History
Since 1917, Family and Community Services' mission has been to partner with – and advocate for – the most vulnerable in our community, especially those facing poverty – to help them achieve their full human potential.
In 2016, Bridges to Success was selected as the first public offering from Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI), a community-wide effort to help people achieve financial security and prosperity. These offerings are based on the idea of people having a trusted partner that supports them as they work towards achieving goals they set.
Bridges to Success demonstrates significant impact
An unprecedented collaboration among a trio of local non-profit organizations has helped nearly 150 participants, many of them heads of families, achieve economic mobility and toward self-sufficiency by partnering individuals and families with dedicated mentors who help address and overcome barriers to employment. Catholic Family Center (now Catholic Charities Family and Community Services), Action for a Better Community, and Community Place of Greater Rochester came together to lead a two-year pilot of a pair of adult mentoring programs. Bridges to Success.
Key results of the pilot include:
- 80.6 percent of participants in the Bridges to Success program advanced from “crisis” or “at-risk” to “stable” in at least one major area (e.g., housing, health, education, employment)
- The average household income for graduated Bridges to Success participants increased by 107.5 percent.
Continue reading about each of our programs, and how to participate, on their program pages: