The Bridges family is a precious, God-loving family who has fallen on hard times and has been seeking help to get out of a very tough situation. They have recently been uprooted from a small rural town outside of Atlanta after moving from Dacula, GA, where mom, Taylor (age 27), grew up and was surrounded by a very close-Inuit family who offered immense support to them over the years.

The family’s financial circumstances changed drastically when a close friend of Taylor’s husband stole one of their cars along with substantial cash, depleting the majority of their savings earlier in 2023. With the help of law enforcement, the car was finally located only to find it had been totaled, leaving them with only one car for the family. After this unexpected financial setback, her husband moved the Bridges’s family to his small, rural hometown, about 3 hours away from Taylor’s supportive family, in order to live in an old home owned by his family.

The original plan was for him to move a few weeks before the family moved to make necessary repairs and prepare the house for their arrival. The plan also included Taylor leaving her full-time job as a special education teacher so she could stay home and care for their three children (ages 4 years, 20 months, and 6 months). Taylor had recently given birth to their third child just before he moved to get the house in order, leaving her to pack all of their belongings while caring for all three kids on her own.

Shortly after their move, Taylor learned her husband lost his job because of a hidden substance-abuse problem. Things continued to go from bad to worse as Taylor learned the house had not received the major repairs that were needed, making it unsafe and unsuitable for their family to live there. Her husband continued to neglect his responsibilities and remained unwilling to make the necessary repairs despite Taylor’s efforts to make a better home environment for her children.

It all came to a breaking point when her husband announced in October 2023, that he was abandoning their marriage and family in order to sustain his new lifestyle of staying out late at the bar, pursuing other women and indulging in drinking/substance abuse. This decision came just two months after having uprooted their family from a stable, safe home to his family home that was in disrepair, leaving Taylor and the kids with no source of income, housing, ability to obtain food and other necessities, or reliable transportation. He also did not assist with next steps as he made it clear that he was no longer committed to staying married and being a father to their children. Although she had found a wonderful “church home” in their new town, the area was too rural to offer enough resources to help her with the kids, childcare, and housing while she looked for a job to support them.

With Taylor in dire need of support to start this next chapter of her life as a single mother to three, Taylor packed up the four of them and moved into her parents’ home temporarily. This provided immediate additional family support to help her navigate next steps and get back on her feet. She has since been surrounded with love and support from her parents and extended family as it was unclear how much support her husband’s family would be able to provide if she had stayed.

Since her move back, her husband has not attempted to contribute any financial or parenting support. Furthermore, his drug use was confirmed via law enforcement following an incident with a firearm while intoxicated. Despite attempts to communicate with him and requests for him to talk to his children, he remains absent and unemployed.

Now, Taylor is seeking legal assistance to end their marriage and obtain “emergency sole custody” of their children. This is her only choice as she works to keep the children and herself out of harm’s way. Her sole goal is to provide for her family by becoming financially independent and moving past these hard times.

By God’s grace, Taylor recently found and accepted a new job virtually teaching special education. This job will allow her flexibility in scheduling so she can provide for her family and care for the young children as she steps into her new role as a single mother. Providentially, Taylor has connected with a local church near her parents’ house that has graciously opened spots in their “mother’s-day-out program” for the two oldest daughters, ages 4 years and 20 months. Because the “mother’s-day-out program” is only a part-time daycare, Taylor’s mom has agreed to take a leave of absence from her job to temporarily support Taylor and care for the children while she is at work.

Taylor’s most pressing goals are to provide financially for her family while saving for a minivan and a home of their own. God continues to open new doors for the Bridges family, reminding us of the Bible’s truth that promises “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19).

We ask that you prayerfully consider how you can help the Bridges’ family during their time of need. You may make a one-time donation or consider making a monthly gift to provide ongoing support.

The Bridges family’s greatest needs right now are:

Saving for a car with car payment and insurance: $600/month

Legal support for her and the children: $3500 total

Proposed Monthly rent: $2,400

Monthly fuel costs: $300

Monthly food expenses: $1,600

Monthly clothing expenses for the children: $200

Monthly full-time childcare for all 3 children: $1,500-2,500

Monthly utilities/bills: $600

Monthly child development/activities within the community: $200

The Bridges family is most appreciative and grateful for all ongoing prayer and financial support.