Bridging the Gap in the Foster Care System

We encourage awareness and community participation in support of high risk youth as well as the families that care for them.

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Our Nonprofit Organization at a Glance

Children in foster care are sometimes separated from their siblings. Others will be sent from one foster placement to another, never knowing how long they’ll be staying. Often, these children have nothing to call their own and face rejection, neglect, abuse, and abandonment.

Bridge 127, Inc. in Pottsville, Pennsylvania partners with local child welfare agencies to assist high risk youth, make placement transitions easier, and to assist aged-out youth as they gain independence.

Our Mission

To serve the youth of Schuylkill County and surrounding areas, so that they feel their worth and realize their God-given potential to create their future in our communities.

Our Humble Beginnings

Bridge 127 began with the dreams of two foster moms who were tired of seeing foster children walk into their homes with a garbage bag full of clothing that generally did not even fit. They dreamed of providing these foster youth with a boutique shopping experience that would provide them with personal belongings that they could choose themselves and that nobody was going to take away. These children already had so much taken away to no fault of their own. The dream expanded to include a mentor program that would help high risk youth in and out of the system.

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Our Team

Paula Weinert

President and co-founder

Paula had a nursing background and never intended to begin fostering children. She was raising four of her own children and felt that would be enough. Paula and her husband, Tom, had every excuse in the book regarding why they should not become foster parents. However, a family opportunity presented itself and Paula just could not say no. That began the Weinert family fostering journey. Many children have come through their home and their family was impacted immensely by each and every one. Paula's dream of Bridge 127 began when her now 8-year-old autistic son was brought to them at only 8-1/2 months old with nothing more than a diaper and a punch filled baby bottle. She wanted to give more than just a home. She wanted to provide mentorship for these youth as well as other foster moms and biological moms.

Anonymous

co-founder

This co-founder, although being an active participant in the establishment of Bridge 127, requests to remain confidential.

Susan Belsak

Community Outreach Coordinator

Susan is a former RN working in the mental health field. She also worked as a training and sales manager for a major corporation for 25 years. Susan was instrumental in organizing the Orwigsburg Food Pantry and God's Helping Hands ministry, both servicing Schuylkill County. Her interests include making connections in the community to coordinate services with clients as needs arise.

Thomas Weinert, Jr

Planned Giving Director

Thomas is an avid golfer and loves his career in sales. Thomas became a foster father and eventual adoptive father reluctantly along with his wife, Paula. The foster care journey has changed his life and opened his eyes to the needs around him in his own backyard. He loves to use his sales skills to educate others about the needs of high risk youth, in and out of foster care.