State of Lifebridge

March 2010

Dear Friends,

I would like to take a few minutes to reflect on the last year and to bring you the latest news from Lifebridge, including our very recent decision to offer the former St.Mary's church building for sale.

The big news, of course, is that we changed our name, effective January 1 this year. The logic behind the new name and the description of our existing buildings as the Salem campus is:

- The word “life” denotes the seriousness of the work conducted on aa campus. We truly do change lives.

- The word “bridge” connotes the process and activities in which we engage clients. We recognize that each client is moving from one “place” in life to another and we are central to that life transition.

While I strongly supported the need for a new name, I was also probably one of those who had the hardest time letting go of the name Salem Mission, having spent many years talking wherever and whenever possible about "the Mission." I have, however, been delighted by the very positive reaction to our new name and have been surprised at how easy it has been to start talking about Lifebridge.

Last June we applied to the State for funding for our plans to convert the former St. Mary's Church into 20 studio apartments. As you may be aware, our plans ran into opposition from some of our neighbors. In response we undertook a number of initiatives:

1. We set up a Neighborhood Committee, which meets monthly. This is a forum for our neighbors to raise any issues of concern they may have. In addition to neighbors, there are three members of the City Council on this committee, together with ED, Mark Cote, and new Board Member, Seth Doolin.

2. Seth Doolin is a psychologist who lives close to Lifebridge, and he approached us and offered to join the Board. After meeting Seth, the Board felt he had several strengths which would help our work and we were delighted to invite him to join us. Seth has also undertaken to act as a liaison between the Neighborhood Committee and the Board.

3. Perhaps the most exciting initiative is one that has not been announced formally as yet, but will be shortly. We are working with the City Council, under Councilor Joan Lovely's leadership, to put together a committee that will create a plan to end homelessness in Salem. We have already met with the Interagency Council on Homelessness's regional director and we intend to produce a plan by the second half of this year. We will be seeking participation from many community leaders and are confident that the result will be a plan for the city that all can embrace.

In late January we heard that our application to the Department of Housing and Community Development for funding had not been successful. There was only one funding round in 2009, rather than the usual two, and just 23 of the more than 100 applications were funded, with the majority being for family housing rather than for housing for individuals.

Rather than go ahead and resubmit our application in February, we decided to delay that decision until the September funding round. In order to see if there are any parties who have an interest in buying the St. Mary's building and using it for another purpose, we have placed the building on the market for sale and will consider offers made before the end of July.

The last year has seen some changes in our Board. Paul Styczko and Rev. Jeff Barz-Snell resigned due to the weight of other commitments. Both Paul and Jeff were heavily involved in our plans for the Seeds of Hope project. Paul served on the Board for more than a decade, and stepped forward to act as Interim ED at the time we made our move to the new Mission Center in 2005. Jeff, too, contributed in many ways, but I would highlight his leadership of the personnel committee as we have upgraded our staff throughout the organization.

More recently, Kathleen McMath, another stalwart of the SOH project, decided to step down as she was being called to a new career. The poor and underprivileged of Salem have never had a better champion than Kathleen and I know she will continue to support them—and us.

In addition to Seth Doolin, we were delighted to welcome another Salem resident, Judy Collins Moran, to our Board and we are already benefitting from her contributions.

Financially, as with other non-profits, the last year has been a challenge, and we are hoping that our two forthcoming events, Clothes on Their Backs and Patriots' Preview, together with the Fast Day will enable us to close our projected deficit for this fiscal year.

Organizationally, Lifebridge is in its best state ever. We have a terrific management, thanks to Mark Cote's leadership, and our programs are working. In 2009, despite the terrible economy, we moved 59 people out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

At a recent Board meeting, one member commented about the distance we had travelled since the "old days". I have to tell you that not one member present felt other than that the greatest opportunities lie ahead of us. We have built a strong foundation. With your continued support, we will press ahead and promise not to rest until we have ended the abomination of homeless.

Sincerely,

Andrew Oliver
President