A real estate professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry, David Abele serves as the team leader of the ARESI Group, a Minneapolis, Minnesota, practice that provides personalized real estate services. In addition to his professional endeavors, David Abele supports local community organizations such as Bridging.

Franz Heitzman, a Minnesota businessman, established Bridging in 1987. At that time, he served as custodian of Pax Christi Church. A woman brought a piece of used furniture for the church’s nursery school. The furniture was not needed, but Heitzman looked for a home that needed it. He reached out to the social service agency and found a recipient.

This experience influenced the concept of Bridging. Every year, Bridging serves over 13,000 people, mostly in the Twin Cities 7-county area, in partnership with paid employees, volunteers, and social services agencies.

Every donated gently-used furniture is carefully inspected. If it meets the quality standards, Bridging selects recipients through the referrals of partner agencies such as human service providers, faith-based communities, and healthcare agencies. These partner agencies identify qualified families. The families receive basic a home set-up which consists of upholstered furniture, a mattress and box spring, linens, a dining table and chairs, dishes, and more.