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Dear BRIDGE community, I hope this update finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. I want to thank you all for supporting our non-profit during this pandemic and supporting our network of community support. We are activating in many small ways and amplifying two major efforts that I will explain here. BRIDGE has always intended to be a resource and connector of resources in our community and beyond. Our intention is to facilitate and amplify in mutually respectful ways the integration of diverse perspectives and needs in our shared communities. We believe in the long-term positive impact of holistic approaches to health, finance, education and community-building! In the time of COVID-19, we are using our collective knowledge, human and social capital & resource base in staff, volunteers and partners to provide the most culturally responsiveness support. Our connectedness has enabled us to serve families in need rapidly and locate others who would benefit. Last week over 30 volunteers worked alongside staff and shopped, sorted and delivered supplies to families in need--along with that we provide services to connect them to our local resources relevant to their situation and facilitate to the extent needed. Thank you to many individual donors and the Berkshire United Way COVID Response for making this possible! Our assessment is simple-- we listen to vulnerable families. Families that in their present circumstance or in their social or health profiles are even doubly at risk. These are families that use our services, trust our approach and/or have a connection to somone that does. Our primary focus is vulnerability in the systemic and cultural sense. If you want to give or volunteer, follow the links below.
Our fourth distribution of supplies, food and information will be delivered this upcoming Friday. Many many individuals are supporting the production of masks. In a mutual aid/neighborhood style, we are serving 71 families, ie. 117 adults incl. 12 elders of Latinx and African American heritage, 40 children, 7 infants, and 11 adolescents. Also, we are making sustainable partnerships with local businesses and local farms for fresh and local food for the foreseeable future with Wildseed, Random Harvest, Woven Roots, Hill ‘n Hollow and more! Stay tuned!  campus unrest TOMORROW! MAY 3rd our Friends at WAM Theatre are doing a reading to support these efforts! Please attend this play and important conversation and know all of your contributions are going to our local families. Thank you WAM! Register here: https://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-online-campus-unrest/  Announcing: New PathwaysIn the next month we would like you to mark your calendars for the release of New Pathways Talks online. Accompanying those talks will be webinars, action labs and community conversations for those who want deeper dives, a community or a mini action plan! The launch of those sessions will be May 21-May 24th. Our IDEA Institute Train the Trainer has pivoted and will now host these new conversations that support the ideology of the IDEA Institute @BRIDGE. More about New Pathways: We are thrilled to be working with Outpost Studios for the video production of our new project curated by our CEO and founding director, Gwendolyn VanSant, Berkshire Business & Professional Women “Woman of the Year” 2019! We want to welcome to a new collection of talks and webinars/action labs* (coming soon!) intended to seed an equitable and resilient future based on justice, healing, and transformation! As BRIDGE stays committed to our mission of advancing equity and justice, we are sharing these short and accessible talks with local and national leaders to support new forms of leadership and organizing during and post COVID-19. This platform will host talks on equity and inclusion, healthcare, financial health and literacy, mindfulness, belonging and more. Our speakers bring their own unique wisdom to the table and their messages are aligned with our core values at BRIDGE. Whether you are new to our work or a longtime client or partner, this series will be a useful resource to you right now and a valuable supplement to our core offerings. This series will serve as both an oxygen mask during these challenging times as well as an opportunity to create new pathways in our hearts, brains, and (thereby) our work.  Upcoming eventsAs always, please check our Events section for all information on upcoming events.  Stay healthy, stay informed, and thank you to our beloved community,
-Gwendolyn and the BRIDGE team! Comments are closed.
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