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About DrawBridge
Our Mission
The mission of DrawBridge is to provide art programs for homeless and other vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance. Beyond that, we strive to promote the well-being and stability of family by creating a supportive community in which children help other children, establishing a lifetime of giving.
Our Philosophy
The guiding force behind DrawBridge's philosophy is our profound respect for the innate wisdom of young people. Our views are similar to those of psychologist Carl Rogers (1902-1987) who stated, "The client knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial and what experiences have been buried." Central to our philosophy is the belief that the experience of being understood and valued gives children the freedom to grow. Through art, children can release the build-up of potentially destructive emotions. The nonjudgmental and loving support of the DrawBridge staff enables the children to rebuild their sense of self-worth.
DrawBridge is an expressive arts program for homeless and other vulnerable children, which operates in seven California six counties including Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz (view program locations >>). DrawBridge was founded by Gloria Simoneaux, who adapted her seven years of experience in art therapy work with terminally ill children to serve the very different population of homeless children. She developed a highly effective method of using the creative arts to help these children and youth work through the complex emotions associated with homelessness and family dysfunction.
Art groups using this method were initially offered at two emergency shelters –– the Hamilton Family Center and at the Marin Housing Center. Social workers, community leaders, and formerly homeless parents had an opportunity to observe the transformational effect of this process on the lives of homeless children during the three years in which this program was developed. In 1991, DrawBridge began to expand its work, eventually providing art groups to more than 1000 children annually at sites throughout the San Francisco Bay region.
In late 1991, these individuals joined together to create DrawBridge as a vehicle to expand this work. Today, DrawBridge has dedicated itself to mitigating the appalling effects of homelessness on children who are now residing –– often for months at a time –– in the Bay Area's emergency facilities.
In December 2007, after serving for 17 years as Executive Director, Gloria Simoneaux retired her role at DrawBridge. She went on to found an international organization, Harambee Arts: Let's Pull Together.
Drawbridge Today
In June 2011, economic conditions and the scarcity of grants forced DrawBridge to close its office and restructure the organization as a mostly volunteer force. Donor support has kept DrawBridge afloat, while our dedicated facilitators and their assistant volunteers continue to show up for art groups each week.
Art Facilitators are the backbone of the organization. They witness first hand the positive effects the program has on the children it serves, and their commitment during these challenging times is a testament to their belief in the mission. Today, DrawBridge has again become financially stable and is in a position to serve an even greater number of children in the future.
Video
We are happy to present our videos, which give an overview of DrawBridge programs in action.
Non-Profit Status
DrawBridge is a private, non-profit organization with a 501(c)3 status through the IRS.
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