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In 1965,
Palatine Township
became the second township in Illinois
to appoint
a youth committee, made up of community residents, to identify
problems
confronted by youth in the community. Over the next few years a
drop-in center
opened, outreach work began, and a summer youth employment
program was developed. When the Simon and Garfunkle song Bridge Over Troubled Waters
became
popular, the youth named the agency The Bridge. The Bridge Youth Services
became the official name of the organization in 1976.
Due to its positive
reputation, The Bridge received Federal and State funds by
the
Illinois
Law Enforcement Commission. With the addition of new funding,
programs
were expanded and The Bridge quickly became a model for other
youth
agencies
throughout the state of Illinois
The Bridge has remained a
leader in providing effective programming to youth.
Board, volunteers and
staff members have initiated a wide-range of services to
meet and
anticipate needs. The Bridge has also been an advocate for the
development
of
other community services and a leader in collaborative efforts.
Shelter, Inc. (a
residential placement agency), Talkline (a 24-hour crisis
intervention agency), District
211’s Alternative School, and the
Transitional
Living Program at Harbour, Inc. are
but a few examples of
existing programs
initiated with Bridge support.
In 1989,
services were extended to serve youth and their families; the agency
name
was modified to The Bridge Youth and Family Services to reflect the
added
age group
and philosophy of service.
The first satellite site at
the Shoppes of Foxfire near Rand and Hicks roads,
opened
in December 1994
to better serve the northeast corner of
Palatine
Township
.
A community partnership grant
from Northwest Community Healthcare started
the substance abuse treatment
services in November 1995. Services are now
available
in partnership with
Palatine and
Fremd
High Schools
.
The satellite site moved from
the Shoppes at Foxfire to the
Palatine
Opportunity
Center
in April 2000.
Palatine
Township
redesigned The Bridge’s office space
and
expanded it by 3,100 square
feet in that same year.
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