Though Our Daily Bread's name changed to Britepaths on July 22, 2016, our mission remains the same: To provide our Fairfax County area neighbors in need with short-term safety-net services and empower them to work toward long-term self-sufficiency.

In more than 30 years of providing help and hope to struggling residents in the Fairfax County area, Britepaths has been committed to tailoring our services to meet the ever-changing needs of the working poor or those in crisis. We are a dedicated leader in developing sustainable solutions meeting the challenges of low-income working families through emergency assistance, financial literacy and one-on-one mentoring.

With the commitment of skilled volunteers and the expertise of our professional staff, Britepaths coordinates customized financial literacy programs that have an 80% success rate in increasing clients’ financial stability.

We began in 1984 as a temporary homeless shelter that rotated among several congregations in the region -- many of which still support our work today. When Fairfax County opened a shelter in Reston, our efforts shifted its focus to feeding the homeless and opening a soup kitchen staffed by volunteers from the various participating organizations. In 1986, the name “Our Daily Bread” was chosen, and three years later, the organization was incorporated and qualified as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

While many organizations and programs emerged to assist the homeless, Britepaths recognized a need that was going unmet: Serving those families who, while not homeless, were in financial crisis and in danger of “falling through the cracks.” These families and individuals live from paycheck-to-paycheck, and unexpected expenses can send them spiraling from self-sufficiency to the brink of homelessness. As the cost of housing in Fairfax County rose sharply through the 1990s and 2000s, rent claimed a greater and greater share of these families’ resources, leaving little left over to meet other needs or provide a financial cushion for emergencies.

Today, the families we assist are likely to be members of the working poor – often juggling multiple jobs, the elderly and disabled, or those who were financially secure but have found themselves in crisis due to job loss, debt or health issues. More than half of those we serve are children.