Dear BRIDGE Supporters,

It is that time of year where we begin to celebrate and say thanks and ask for a renewal of support. We decided at BRIDGE that we wanted to see as many of our partners, members, donors, employees, allies and activists for a celebratory gathering! 

We have some exciting news to share regarding a national recognition! Please join us Saturday evening, December 7th at the BRIDGE offices for a Social Justice in Action fundraiser! Stop by anytime between 6pm - 7 pm for drinks and light snacks and to celebrate with us in community. Event ends at 8 after a short presentation and a fun mixer activity. You’ll be able to re/connect with BRIDGE staff, Board and volunteers- old and new—and learn more about what we’ve been up to in 2019⁠—from celebrating the final 10th year anniversary milestones of two of our core programs, Happiness Toolbox and Women to Women. We have had several fun partnerships with WAM in producing PIPELINE, our allied support of Du Bois Legacy, and the results of Gwendolyn’s Women of Achievement Award. Come chat amongst our resilient connections working towards positive social impact with new and older staff, volunteers and other BRIDGE members to hear about this and the rippling impact! We hope to see you there!

December Social Justice in Action Fundraiser
Saturday, December 7th, 2019 | 6 pm - 8 pm
BRIDGE, 17 Main Street, Suite B3, Lee, MA 01238
Please RSVP to RSVP@multiculturalbridge.org by December 1st. 
You can also RSVP on Facebook and Eventbrite

PS. Can’t join us in person? You can always make a donation directly on the BRIDGE website. Your donation will help to support our work building justice, equity & safer communities for all—in the Berkshires and across the country. Thank you!

October 25th to November 9th - Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau

A play about the mother-son relationship within longstanding systemic barriers facing Black families coping in and around our education system. Produced by WAM in partnership with BRIDGE in the Berkshires alongside a Boston production. 

Tickets on sale. 11/4 at 12:30 is RTF show and 11/7 at 7:30 PM is TRJ show. 11/9 Final Pipeline with Beneficiary awards to Harmony Homestead and Women of Color Giving Circle

Discounted tickets available.

See Gwendolyn if you want to co-lead with BRIDGE facilitator at a talkback. We will need 1-3 people in the audience during talkbacks to support process. WAM has asked BRIDGE to do a welcome meal for the actors. 

Discounted tickets available!

November 3rd - Latinx Heritage Month Celebration | Women to Women | rsvp@multiculturalbridge.org

$30/per person | All W2W free in their honor and BRIDGE member discount rates: $25.person, $40 (2 tickets) | Reserve spots now.| 10th anniversary |

Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow| 3-7 PM | Meet members of our W2W group and learn about Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and more. Presenters will share cultural traditions, dance, foods and their migration stories. Testimonials abound to value of BRIDGE supports! Rich stories of celebration, family, thriving and transition. Remounting of our Migrations of the Heart and more! 

Nov 4th & 7th - Pipeline with BRIDGE Race Task Force & TRJ Talkbacks
Nov 4th for Educators throughout the County

Building and Sustaining Faith Among Communities
Presented by:  Gwendolyn VanSant, Dr. Leticia Haynes, USAO Cara Henderson with Race Task Force members 
Location: Williams College
Nov 4th

Pipeline 2.0: Exploring Empathy and Classroom Culture
Presented by:  Gwendolyn VanSant Stephanie Wright and Lia Russell Self with Pipeline Actors
Location: Herbert Middle School

November 9th - Berkshire County NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner

Dec 13-15- Voicing our Activism | Training for BRIDGE staff with Shakespeare & Co. with Tina Packer, MaConnnia Chesser and more. Friday evening, Saturday all day, Sun AM. ($100 and RSVP required) | rsvp@multiculturalbridge.org

October 3rd - TRJ- South Berkshire Meeting - Community meetings for racial justice.  1st Thursdays of the month, free and open to the public at 6:30 pm at the UU Church 1089 Main St, Housatonic, MA 01236

October 4th - 6th Undoing Racism Workshop | Amherst 

October 5th - Smash the Stigma - A community based event for substance abuse disorder and recovery awareness from 11 - 3 PM Memorial Field Great Barrington MA

October 6th - North Adams Parade with Mass MoCA Exhibit | Cauleen Smith 12 - 5 PM

October 17th - Towards Racial Justice White Caucus - 7 - 8:30 PM 

October 18th - 1-5 PM | Du Bois Homesite 50th celebration | BRIDGE partners with Town Of Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Committee for a restorative event repairing & lifting up the history from Oct. 18, 1969 when the Du Bois Boyhood site was dedicated | Join us in celebration and honoring civil rights leaders with all of our local Berkshire organizations righting history alongside the Town of Great Barrington for our Global icon , Dr. W.E. B. Du Bois | 1:00-4:00 PM 

October 24th - Women to Women to Mass MoCA Field Trip to see Erre Exhibit | Join us! | Let’s Carpool!

October 25th to November 9th - Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau -  Produced by WAM in partnership with BRIDGE in the BErkshires alongside a Boston production.  Tickets on sale. 11/4 at 12:30 is RTF show and 11/7 at 7:30 PM is TRJ show. 11/9 FInal Pipeline with Beneficiary awards to Harmony Homestead and Women of Color Giving Circle |  Discounted tickets available. 

October 25th -  Bending the Arc - BRIDGE and Du Bois Legacy are affiliates of MAHRC Advancing Human Rights in the Commonwealth with a panel discussion on the Intersection of Law Enforcement and Human Rights, at the Massachusetts State House

September 5th | Towards Racial Justice | South (TRJ- South)- Community meetings for racial justice.  1st Thursdays of the month, free and open to the public at 6:30 pm at the UU Church 1089 Main St, Housatonic, MA 01236

September 9th | TRJ Race Task Force | Community representatives meeting for Racial Justice.  Meets monthly on the First Monday. 12 - 1:30 PM at  Ralph Froio Senior Center.  330 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201.  Email adminsupport@multiculturalbridge.org 

September 9th | TRJ Mens Caucus for Racial Justice | 7:00 PM | RSVP to rsvp@multiculturalbridge.org

September 10th | Accountability TRJ Meeting | 6:30 - 8:30 PM

September 11th | Town of Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Meeting | 6 PM Firehouse (TBD - check town of GB website)

September 15th | Social Justice In Action (SJIA) Steve and Diana’s Garden Party | 3 - 5 PM | open to the public as a fundraiser where each guest is invited to take a piece of artwork from the former Felber Art Gallery | Join us for a unique BRIDGE presentation!

September 19th | WAM Theatre | Volunteer Prep Pipeline  

September 21- 22 | Lenox Apple Squeeze | Pipeline Tabling with WAM - Sept 21st 1- 5:30; Sept 22nd 11- 5:30 

September 21st | Harvest of Hope | 11 - 5 PM (need volunteers for tabling)

September 22nd | Walk for Construct | (FLASHMOB 2 - 3 PM) - Great Barrington 11 - 3 PM.  Need a group of volunteers to attend 2-3 PM and learn a short dance together in BRIDGE community.  

September 23rd | Adams Town Meeting | 6 PM at 8 Park Street, Adams, MA 01220. Last meeting racist, xenophobic and classist comments were made. We need people to not let this happen again.

September 26th | Mass MoCA | Book Club |  Cauleen Smith Exhibit | Octavia Butler Parables of the Sower (Nov 7th and Dec 5th) | Reading group Facilitation by Gwendolyn VanSant | This book is powerful in its insight and foresight. Join us for a powerful book study!

Saturday, September 27th | Gratitude & Generosity Call & Mail Center | Support fund development and Friend Raising with thank yous, solicitations & more! 10:30 AM -1:30 PM | Join us to give thanks for the generosity and plan for our end of year Annual Appeal, Birthday fundraisers, Amazon Smile engagement, etc. | RSVP to lily@multiculturalbridge.org and rsvp@multiculturalbridge.org

Looking Ahead to more Fall Dates:

October 3rd | TRJ- South Berkshire Meeting - Community meetings for racial justice.  1st Thursdays of the month, free and open to the public at 6:30 pm at the UU Church 1089 Main St, Housatonic, MA 01236

October 4th | 6th Undoing Racism Workshop | Amherst, MA

October 6th | North Adams Parade with Mass MoCA Exhibit | Cauleen Smith 12 - 5 PM

October 17th | Towards Racial Justice White Caucus | 7 - 8:30 PM 

October 18th | Save the Date! Du Bois Homesite 50th celebration | BRIDGE partners with Town Of Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Committee for a restorative event repairing & lifting up the history from Oct. 18, 1969 when the Du Bois Boyhood site was dedicated | Join us in celebration and honoring civil rights leaders with all of our local Berkshire organizations righting history alongside the Town of Great Barrington for our Global icon , Dr. W.E. B. Du Bois | 1:00-4:00 PM 

October 24th | Women to Women to Mass Moca Field Trip to see Erre Exhibit | Join us! | Let’s Carpool!

October 25th to November 9th | Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau -  A play about the mother-son relationship within longstanding systemic barriers facing Black families coping in and around our education system. Produced by WAM in partnership with BRIDGE in the Berkshires alongside a Boston production.  Tickets on sale. 11/4 at 12:30 is RTF show and 11/7 at 7:30 PM is TRJ show. 11/9 FInal Pipeline with Beneficiary awards to Harmony Homestead and Women of Color Giving Circle | Discounted tickets available. See Gwendolyn if you want to co-lead with BRIDGE facilitator at a talkback. We will need 1-3 people in the audience during talkbacks to support process. WAM has asked BRIDGE to do a welcome meal for the actors. 

November 3rd | Save the Date! Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration | Women to Women | 10th anniversary | Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow| 3-7 PM | Meet members of our W2W group and learn about Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and more. Presenters will share cultural traditions, dance, foods, and their migration stories. Testimonials abound to BRIDGE support. Rich stories of thriving and transition. Remounting of our Migrations of the Heart and more! 

Nov 4th & 7th | Pipeline with BRIDGE Race Task Force & TRJ Talkbacks

November 9th | Berkshire County NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner

Dec 13-15 | Voicing our Activism | Training for BRIDGE staff with Shakespeare & Co. with Tina Packer, MaConnnia Chesser and more. Friday evening, Saturday all day, Sun AM. ($100 and RSVP required) | rsvp@multiculturalbridge.org

August 1st - “Yes, We All Have Bias!” - Part 2, Deeper Dive -  Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires offers a BRIDGE two-session training.   BRIDGE leads a two-session training on inclusive leadership skills for navigating bias in the workplace.  Open to the public, 9 - 12 PM, to register: npcberkshires.org/events/yes-we-all-have-bias

August 1st - TRJ- South - Community meetings for racial justice.  1st Thursdays of the month, free and open to the public at 6:30 pm at the UU Church 1089 Main St, Housatonic, MA 01236

August 5th-16th Happiness Toolbox Summer Leadership and educational program for youth! First Congregational Church, Great Barrington, MA 01230 

August 5th - Race Task Force - Community representatives meeting for Racial Justice.  Meets monthly on the First Monday. 12:30 - 3 PM at Ralph Froio Senior Center.  330 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201.  Email adminsupport@multiculturalbridge.org

August 10th - Day of Action with Yo-Yo Ma - from 9 - 3 PM on the commons in Pittsfield MA.  Table building, panel discussions, tree plantings, music and more.  

August 15th - Happiness Toolbox Celebration - First Congregational Church 5:30 PM

October 25th to November 9th - Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau -  A play about longstanding systemic barriers facing black families.  WAM in partnership with BRIDGE. Tickets on sale July 19th. 11/4 at 12:30 is RTF show and 11/7 at 7:30 PM is TRJ show.   Discounted tickets available.

November 3rd - Save the Date for Women to Women 10th anniversary! 

November 13th - Wing Night - Patrick’s Pub - details coming
Lean in with us!!

“Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." --Vince Lombardi

Join BRIDGE at Shakespeare and Company’s July 4th celebration.  This shift to a culturally aware celebration is a reflection of the work Gwendolyn has supported.  Come celebrate these diverse voices being heard and a new tradition being born.

The event is free and there will be food for purchase. 

More information is available here.

1:30 - 5 PM at 70 Kemble St, Lenox, MA 01240

(No TRJ this month, so please join the TRJ community here!)

Save the date!

On June 12th, BRIDGE will be particating and supporting the MCLA Diversity and Inclusion 3-day Conference, featuring the PISAB Undoing Racism workshop (“an appetizer” for the 35 hr training our CEO has taken twice, ie 70 hrs). This is strongly recommended for our racial justice activists and allies. Nikki Giovanni will be reading in the evening on June 12th.

To find out more: MCLA Diversity and Inclusion Conference.  
Email Érica for free tickets erica.barreto@mcla.edu

Save the date!

On June 9th, we'll be celebrating Massachusetts Race Amity Day in the Berkshires with our 3rd annual Racial Justice Mini-Conference &  10th anniversary of BRIDGE Race Task Force & TRJ campaign celebration.

More information coming soon!