April 2016


Dear BRIDGE supporter,

We provide community opportunities to join and discuss injustices and solutions that each and everyone of us can be a part of. We welcome everyone at Multicultural BRIDGE and no one is turned away or judged. Your story and your contribution and place in our community is of value--each and every one of you because we are all connected and we all must learn and grow together. My humanity is wrapped up in the degree to which you believe and value your own.

Without individuals like you demonstrating love for our connected humanity, we could not do the important work in the community. We mentor high needs, underresourced children with volunteers in our community. We are up to 45 mentors because people like you join our mission and we need more. Please come join us! And please let us know if you can donate or sponsor this comprehensive program! Our focus is happy, thriving resilient children and youth --and a great byproduct is happy, flourishing mentors!

We provide snacks in our summer and afternoon programs for those children who may not eat til breakfast the next day in school. Donate to support!

We go in to schools and facilitate conversations and dialogue around respect, restorative practice, resilience and teaching how to embrace differences and be effective self advocates and advocates around difference! People like you join us and become trained facilitators to make a difference in the lives of another. Join us and please donate to help support the work!

We believe in storytelling. Buy a copy of the Berkshire Mosaic to hear the diverse heritage and legacy of the Berkshires.

To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important we affirm the value of truth telling. --from bell hooks All about Love: New Visions

When we tackle injustices and inequities, we start with the humanity in ourselves and knowing it is of equal value and connected to the humanity in others. And I want to thank you for being a part of the rebuilding of our communities based on connection.

Please join us as a mentor, volunteer and donor. No donation is too small and yes we need you to step forward in those really big ways as well! And we know that is relative to each individual and their sphere of influence. You all can help us make a difference with a monthly or one time contribution! Our goal for 2016 is to raise $80,000 to sustain and build our programs! We can do it together!

Serving it forward,
Gwendolyn

Youth and Education-

$25- healthy after school snack for one child over a

ten week period.

$50- youth training for a day with a meal included

$250- one week of BRIDGE summer program, Happiness

Toolbox

$200- pays a high-school youth stipend for one

week

$250- pays a college youth stipend for one week

$500 artist stipend to build a community mosaic at

the Guthrie Center or in honor of Mumbett

$500- one child will be fully mentored (including

training, parent/school communication & coordination,

community mentoring, etc.)

Sponsor BRIDGE programs

$500-Towards Racial Justice in the Berkshires Speakers Bureau: Stipends for speakers, planning, staffing, tickets,

etc. African American Leadership Caucus, Real Talk

on Race, Race Task Force.

$500-Sponsorship of Facing our Truth (Feb. 6th)

$750- Cost incl. food for a BRIDGE multicultural

community presentation highlight the diverse cultures

in our community

$1200-Free Community Cultural Proficiency Training

in an independent location (see Gwendolyn for

waiting list)

Capacity Building:

$125/per month- to maintain donor database

$3,000- For BRIDGE staff to go to NCBI in Baltimore-Diversity Leadership (Trainings in April 2016)

$3,000- For BRIDGE staff to go to “Bridges out of

poverty” training in Indianapolis (April 2016)

Open Doors Scholarship– support for first generation

college students.

Sallie VanSant Memorial Fund - support for our

Women’s group and children programs.

Happiness Toolbox—provides mentors, resilence

and diversity training. 413-394-4029

www.multiculturalbridge.org