“I can pursue my goals at Brunson Liberty House because it’s a safe place where I can afford to live and I know the Bridge team is just steps away.”
– Dimon, Brunson Liberty House resident
Brunson Liberty House is our second independent housing residence that provides young adults with a place to live, learn, and grow as they work, go to school, and build up their savings.
June 2024 Ribbon Cutting
In June 2024, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Bridge Over Troubled Waters opened a second house, Brunson Liberty House, in Brighton, next to our Transitional Living Program. This nine-bedroom home is much like Liberty House in Dorchester, but with the added benefit of being close to our other property, so that youth can have easy access to Bridge services if needed. The house was purchased with a $1.3 million gift from Liberty Mutual.
“We are thrilled to have the ability to provide services to homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth thanks to the generous gift from our longstanding partner Liberty Mutual Insurance,” said Bridge Over Troubled Waters President & CEO Elisabeth Jackson. “Brunson Liberty House will provide independent living for youth experiencing homelessness, significantly expanding Bridge’s capacity to help youth transition out of our Transitional Living Program and take the next steps towards becoming fully independent young adults.”
The ribbon cutting was a special ceremony, attended by Bridge President & CEO Elisabeth Jackson, Liberty Mutual Insurance CEO Tim Sweeney, Liberty Mutual Foundation President Melissa MacDonnell, Chief of Housing for the City of Boston and the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Sheila Dillon, Rep. Kevin G. Honan, Rep. John Moran, and Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon. We heard from Dimon, a youth who will soon be moving into Brunson Liberty House, who shared her inspirational story of how she moved through the Bridge program and is now ready for independent housing in Brunson Liberty House.
“Safe and secure housing coupled with developmentally appropriate support services are essential for ensuring youth can reach their full potential,” said Melissa MacDonnell, President of Liberty Mutual Foundation, Vice President of Community Investments at Liberty Mutual. “The first Liberty House model is already having a profound effect on supporting youth in building a foundation for their future. We are honored to once again support Bridge Over Troubled Waters in moving this vital work forward.”
Honoring Richard Brunson
Brunson Liberty House is named after Richard Brunson, who served as a counselor and social worker at Bridge for over 40 years. During his time at Bridge, Richard led the clinical team and saw hundreds of youth, all of whom benefitted from his unique way of connecting with people. Richard had the ability to listen to youth without judgement and understand their hopes, fears, goals, and dreams. His work was an inspiration to all at Bridge and youth still frequently reach out to share stories of the incredible impact Richard had on their lives.
Liberty House in the News
Massachusetts organizations work to support families and youth in need, WCVB’s Chronicle, Aug 14, 2024
