The Bridge Teen Center is an innovative grassroots nonprofit community center that was designed around the interests and needs of teens in the suburbs. We opened in Orland Park in 2010, and have served over 14,500+ different teens and families from 128 Chicago Southland and Northwest Indiana communities.Our mission is to provide free programs during after-school and unsupervised hours where students can develop mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually in a safe environment. The vision of The Bridge Teen Center is to provide teens with a place to find hope, purpose, and direction. We serve students in 7th-12th grade, and also provide ongoing programs and resources to help parents navigate through the teenage years. Because student safety is our primary concern, The Bridge is managed by experienced professionals who are supported by well-trained and pre-screened adult volunteers.We rely entirely on the volunteer and financial support of the community to provide 350+ FREE programs annually for students. Currently, our funding comes from our thrift stores (31% plus in-kind supplies), foundations (26%), businesses/entities (25%), and individual donors (18%).We take every investment in our mission to heart, and strive to maximize each and every dollar we receive. We are proud of the fact that for every dollar donated, 92 cents directly supports the students we serve. In every sense of the phrase, The Bridge Teen Center is built by the community, for the community. To find out more about The Bridge Teen Center and how you or your workplace can serve or give local in support of teens, please visit www.thebridgeteencenter.org, send an email to info@thebridgeteencenter.org, or call 708.532.0500.