The Bridge Ministry
Charlottesville · Mentoring & Education
The Bridge Ministry works in Virginia to transform the lives of troubled men and their families by providing mentoring, vocational skills, education, counseling, and the relationships they need to bridge the gap from addiction to productive community and family life.
Founded in 1996 by William Washington, who found a new life while serving a long-term jail sentence, The Bridge Ministry gives men committed to breaking free from life-controlling issues a second chance. The program runs in three phases: community and jail ministry (including working with judges to provide an alternative to incarceration); an 18-month residential program at its Buckingham County retreat center, which houses up to 50 men and offers character-building instruction, job training, drug counseling, and educational classes, including hands-on auto mechanic training at the Judge Jay T. Swett Learning Center; and a final six months at the Charlottesville Intern House, where men build community ties, find employment, and learn practical life skills.