About Bridging
Bridging is a non-profit 501(c)(3), operating 100,000 square feet of warehouse in Bloomington and Roseville and provides service to a 24 county area. Bridging serves approximately 130 households a week and operates with a small paid staff of 28 employees. We rely upon over 7,000 individual and group volunteers who donate over 90,000 hours annually.
Bridging is environmentally friendly, recycling over 100,000 items annually. This year, we will give away more than $13M in merchandise based on IRS fair market value. Each household receives an average of $2,000 in furniture and household goods during their visit.
Our funding is provided by private donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, churches and civic organizations. 98% of all donations to Bridging support programs and services.
How did Bridging Begin?
In 1987 our Founding Director, Fran Heitzman, was the custodian at Pax Christi Church in Eden Prairie. A woman brought in a crib and asked Fran if he could use it in the nursery. Fran said no, but he was sure he could find a home for the crib. He called a social service agency that definitely wanted the crib. Fran thought that he should be able to find a home for that crib and other furniture items and bridge the gap between those who have and those who have not. Bridging proceeded to move five times in eleven years. They needed more room for the exploding demand of their services
