Bridge the Gap Fund supports our neighbors in crisis

Mary Reed • September 26, 2025

When systems fall short, this fund steps in.

Elizabeth (not her real name) is a single mom in Athens County who was couch surfing with her son for more than eight months. Unable to come up with nearly $2,000 for a first month’s rent and deposit for her own place, she reached out to a local social service agency for help. That agency was able to access money for these costs from the Bridge the Gap Fund, a flexible emergency fund held by the Athens County Foundation that helps cover basic needs not otherwise supported by existing funding sources.


“The help I received literally put a roof over our heads,” Elizabeth says. The assistance she received is a grant, ensuring that she will not have the additional worry about paying the money back.


“This exemplifies the reason Bridge the Gap Fund was created,” says Kerry Pigman, executive director of the Athens County Foundation, which houses the fund. “Sometimes our neighbors face a crisis situation, and existing programs can’t quickly fill the gap. Bridge the Gap does literally just that – it bridges a financial gap that can be the difference between stability and crisis.”


Since its inception in May, the fund has given nearly $25,000 to 19 individuals or families. This quick, responsive infusion of funds has:

  • Kept the utilities on
  • Gotten people into stable housing by paying a security deposit or rent
  • Made a car payment so someone could get to their new job
Give to the Bridge the Gap Fund

ACF does not distribute the funds directly; the foundation works with local service providers who know our community, understand the systems in place, and can ensure help goes where it’s truly needed. These partners guide individuals to every available resource – and when nothing else can meet the need, Bridge the Gap steps in.

“Life can be hard, and sometimes we all need a little help to get where we’re going. Fortunately, we live in a place where people want to lend a hand and lift each other up.”

— Founding donors, Bridge the Gap Fund

We see the strengths of Athens County. One of those strengths is that we show up for each other. Through Bridge the Gap, your generosity becomes part of a trust-based, community-based safety net. Let’s make sure everyone in Athens County has what they need – not just to survive, but to move forward with dignity.


PS - If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out to one the many governmental and nonprofit organizations in our community that can help. They will be able to provide guidance on resources available, including Bridge the Gap Fund.

Pull up a Chair: September Newsletter

By Emily Prince • September 17, 2026
After the Storm: What Community Resilience Looks Like

Stacy Strauss is ACF's new Director of Finance and Administration

By Emily Prince • September 1, 2026
Please join us in welcoming our new Director of Finance and Administration, Stacy Strauss. Stacy looks forward to using her skills to strengthen our community! She brings energy, creativity, and a thoughtful approach to her work, along with a genuine ability to bring people together around shared goals. Her experience spans financial management, fundraising and grant writing, program development, business strategy, and developing materials that tell a clear, compelling story.  Just as importantly, she enjoys helping others grow. She has experience leading and training teams, building collaborative cultures, developing recruitment strategies, and finding practical, creative solutions to complicated challenges. Whether working with colleagues, community partners, or other stakeholders, she builds relationships rooted in trust, communication, and a shared commitment to advancing good ideas.

Fall Grant Applications Open

By Shayne Lopez • August 28, 2026
Athens County's greatest asset is its people. Every day, neighbors, organizations, and local leaders bring skill, creativity, and deep knowledge of this place to the work of building a stronger community. Our grantmaking invests in those strengths, because the best solutions are already growing here, led by the people who call Athens County home. Our grantmaking builds on the strengths already here by investing in the initiatives, people and organizations, relationships, skills, and ideas working to address longstanding challenges and pursue extraordinary opportunities. The deadline for applications for the Senior Fund has been extended to October 18, 2026! The Athens Jaycees Senior Fund The Athens Jaycees Senior Fund supports organizations and programs working to improve the lives of older adults (60+) in Athens County. This year, approximately $65,000 is available through ACF’s Fall Grant Cycle. We want to encourage organizations to think broadly about what supporting people as they age could look like. The Jaycees fund has deep local roots. In 2014, Housing for Athens Senior Residents donated $1 million to the Athens County Foundation to establish the fund following the sale of Heritage Commons Senior Housing. Heritage Commons itself began as an Athens Jaycees project in 1981, created to expand housing opportunities for local seniors. To date, the Jaycees Senior Fund has awarded more than $415,000 to support programs and services benefiting older adults across Athens County. What could an Athens Jaycees Senior Fund project look like? We’re inviting applicants to consider how their work could help make Athens County a community where people can remain active, connected, independent, and supported as they age. Projects might address housing, transportation, community and health services, social connection, healthy living, accessibility, caregiver support, or other needs and opportunities identified by older adults. The Jaycees Senior Fund intentionally remains flexible so that organizations can bring forward ideas grounded in what they are seeing and hearing in their communities. If your organization has an idea that could improve the experience of aging in Athens County, we encourage you to consider ACF’s Fall Grant Cycle to access the Jaycees Senior Fund. The deadline for grant requests supporting senior-related programs has been extended to October 18, 2026. For more information, please visit athensfoundation.org/grants. -------- If you’d like guidance in developing or strengthening an age-friendly program idea, we encourage you to reach out directly to Amy Lipka with Age-Friendly Athens County at alipka@athenspublichealth.org. The Athens City-County Health Department will also sponsor Healthy Aging Community Grants in early 2027.