The headlines in Bradford have been heavy.
Our small city has seen more pain than it should—lives cut short, families broken, hearts hardened by addiction, poverty, and despair. It’s the kind of darkness that seeps into a community and makes people wonder if things will ever get better.

But there is a better story being written.
All across Bradford and the surrounding towns, people are finding healing, connection, and faith again. At Open Arms Community Church, we see it every week—neighbors stepping into homes where microchurches meet, men and women finding support in recovery groups, families rediscovering hope through real community.

When churches show up, it changes everything.
Faith communities like ours make a measurable difference in the places they serve:

📊 Regular participation in church is linked to a 33% lower risk of death from despair (suicide, drug overdose, or alcoholism).
— Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2020

📊 Children raised in religious communities are more likely to report higher levels of happiness and volunteerism as adults.
— Harvard Human Flourishing Program, 2018

📊 78% of Americans believe churches play a vital role in helping the poor and needy.
— Pew Research Center, 2023

This is what your giving makes possible.
When you support Push Back the Darkness, you help us:

💡 Reach people before crisis hits through relationships, mentoring, and faith-based community.
💡 Support local outreach like Community Fun Nights, recovery groups, and partnerships with missions such as Destinations Bradford and Bright Alternatives.
💡 Create safe spaces where men, women, youth, and families can find belonging, purpose, and spiritual growth.

The darkness doesn’t get the final word here.
Hope does.
And every act of generosity helps that light grow brighter—one home, one family, one heart at a time.

Push Back the Darkness: Hope for Bradford

By Open Arms Community Free Methodist Church

Push Back the Darkness: Hope for Bradford

This GivingTuesday, let’s push back the darkness and shine hope across Bradford.

Team Members