Compassion Bridges is grateful for the incredible outpouring of support to train and equip students and uplift hurting families during these difficult times. Our vision and dream continues on to reach out to marginalized families, refugees, Bay Area children and youth through after school Kids Club programs, camps, public school outreach events, leadership training seminars and special family outreach events. As public schools have opened up we hope to continue our work in more personal ways. The needs are great and the pressures and anxieties students and families are facing are real. We are honored to be a small source of hope and blessings to others.

Afghan Refugee Outreach 2021-2023

Fall of 2021 Compassion Bridges began a new work in the Bay Area to bring together churches, leaders and non-profits to see how we can serve the coming surge of Afghan refugees after the US pull-out in August. Fremont just north of San Jose is largest hub of Afghans in the United States. Keivan Compassion Bridges Executive Director is an immigrant from Iran because of the Iran/Iraq war that began in 1980. He has worked with numerous refugee families in the past and knows Farsi/Dari language that Afghans speak. He understands some of the major snuggles refugees and immigrants from that region face. Strategically it is very important in coordinating efforts and understanding the need of these refugees here and possibly many more who will come, in the coming months and year to come. In December 2021, CB co-sponsored an event to train 140 Bay Area leaders who desired to work among Afghans Refugees. Now in 2022 along side of many volunteers, churches, non-profits and resettlement groups like the IRC and JFSSV we can be a source of hope and healing and grace for these hurting individuals and families who have gone through so much pain and loss. We are also working through personal contacts within Afghanistan to help extremely impoverished families there with bags of food, heating oil, wood and encouragements to get them through this difficult time. Contact us if you want to volunteer, have any housing connections where we can get reduced rent, or know of people who have extra space in their homes or a detached in-law unit or want to donate gift cards or financial gifts to help the hurting families. You can also donate any vehicle in good working condition and receive a full tax-deductible donation letter for its full value. We are also recruiting small groups of 5-10 people who would like to co-sponsor an Afghan family and help the with various important needs.

East Side San Jose COVID Family Outreach

Because of Covid-19 and school restrictions Compassion Bridges added a monthly feeding program in East San Jose in collaboration with the Alum Rock School district and East Side Union High School District and other non-profits. Starting in May 2020 we partnered local businesses, individuals and other other non-profits to come along side hurting families in need. Since May ’20 we have served over 2500+ families with bags of groceries as well as additional grocery store gift cards, and encouragements to help them through this difficult time. For this season we have adapted our work to serve students and our community hit hard by job losses, depression, and lack of resources to provide for their families. Thank-you for coming along side of our work to bring hope to so many. Our next outreach is in April 2022 in East SJ. Contact us if you want to volunteer or donate money to buy food or gift cards for this outreach,.

Student Outreach 2022-2023

Many of us are aware that COVID has adversely affected the mental and even physical health of our young people. The isolation, remote learning, lack of good healthy human contact and loss still weighs heavily on our children. Compassion Bridges has been invited into numerous public schools this Spring to speak to groups of students and encourage them through these difficult times. We believe that community, friendship and faith can help bring hope and health back to these hurting young people. Hundreds of students have heard a strong message of hope and faith in overcoming their feelings of depression, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders and their overall lack of hope.

If there’s anything we can do to serve you, don’t hesitate to contact us here.