Darien Couple Mentors Homeless Families Through Bridge Communities

As residents of Darien, Bill and Lori Saviski make their home in DuPage County and are visible in the community. What's perhaps less visible, though, is the nearly 1,300 homeless children who go to school in the county. 

For 14 years the Saviskis have served as mentors for homeless families through Bridge Communities, which on Nov. 2 will put on its 10th annual Sleep Out Saturday event to raise money for its programs benefitting many of those families.

About 2,000 residents are expected to sleep outside Saturday, Nov. 2, to raise awareness and money so Bridge can continue its transitional housing program, which serves more than 120 families each year and provides two years of housing, life-skills mentoring, financial counseling, employment training, tutoring and an auto repair and donation program.

Read more about the 2012 Sleep Out Saturday on Glen Ellyn Patch. 

Although the Saviskis won't be sleeping outside, they said the money raised for Bridge is essential. 

"Most of the people we take are people who are ready to become homeless," Bill Saviski said. "We took them from the depths of their financial problems and other problems to a place where they can live a normal life. The people who are unemployed using Bridge can get a job and it changes their life."

Sleep Out Saturday will begin with an outdoor rally hosted by NBC/Channel 5 anchor Stephan Holt at 7 p.m. in downtown Glen Ellyn, 505 Crescent Blvd. The free rally is open to the public and will feature music, video and live testimonials from Bridge Communities clients.

For more information on Sleep Out Saturday, to participate or to sponsor a sleeper, call 630-545-0610 ext. 19 or go to www.SleepOutSaturday.org.