Bridges Healthcare has received a $15,000 gift from It’s Free to Dream Foundation to support its mission of providing critical mental health services to individuals, children, and families throughout Milford, Orange and West Haven and surrounding communities.
“Our community really benefits from partnerships like this,” said Jennifer Fiorillo, Bridges Healthcare’s President and CEO. “We are incredibly grateful to the It’s Free to Dream Foundation for their commitment to supporting local mental health initiatives. At a time when federal funding resources are unpredictable, community resources like this are necessary. Without these critical gap funds, we risk experiencing reductions in programs and staff plus longer wait times for our clients.”
It’s Free to Dream Foundation, founded in August 2025, is a Milford-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. Nearly 48,000 Americans lose their lives to suicide annually according to National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI). It is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 10 to 24.
Founders Ken Steeves and Chris Taft’s firsthand experiences with mental health and suicide motivated them to establish the Foundation and their mission is to help people, especially local youth, access support and feel empowered to speak up about their mental health. The Foundation, established in memory of Ken’s mother, Randi May Steeves, is committed to ensuring that no one faces their mental health struggles alone.
Bridges was one of three local beneficiaries at the inaugural It’s Free to Dream 2025 Mental Health Gala on December 14, 2025, the tenth anniversary of Randi May’s passing. Boys & Girls Village in Milford and NAVI, a mental health app designed to provide self-guided support and connect users to live counseling in crisis situations, were also donation recipients.
“The $15,000 gift to Bridges is unrestricted, allowing us to direct funds where they are needed most,” according to Fiorillo. “This is especially important for our Child Outpatient services which are historically underfunded, even though our youth are often the most vulnerable to high rates of suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and depression.”
For children and families, Bridges provides a host of services including outpatient therapy, behavioral health services on-site at designated schools in Milford and West Haven, and intensive in-home child and adolescent psychiatric services for children with complex psychological and behavioral needs. Partnerships like this one play a vital role in ensuring these services remain accessible to all and supporting early access to mental health care to help stabilize children’s challenges before they escalate.
Bridges will be recognizing the It’s Free to Dream Foundation as a Mental Health Wave Maker at their Rock the Dock for Mental Health fundraiser on May 28 in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month.
“We are honored to partner with Bridges Healthcare and support the incredible work they’re doing in our community,” said Steeves. “Our goal is to make sure young people, and everyone know they are not alone and that help is always available.”
About Bridges Healthcare
Bridges is the local mental health authority for Milford, Orange, West Haven, and the surrounding communities, offering over twenty unique mental health and addiction recovery programs for children, families, adults, and young adults. Bridges’ recovery-focused services support individuals with severe and prolonged mental illness, addiction problems, as well as emotional and behavioral issues. For more information about Bridges’ programs and services, visit bridgesct.org.
About It’s Free to Dream Foundation
The It’s Free to Dream Foundation was established to raise awareness and provide support for mental health and suicide prevention, with a focus on empowering young people to seek help and fostering a community where no one struggles alone. itsfreetodream.org
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