Bridge Fosters a Sense of Community
Bridge offers housing, mental health care, education and career help, and many more necessary services to help youth get back on their feet and move from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Yet our team also works hard to make sure Bridge is not just a place youth can go, but a place where youth can belong. They do this by creating a sense of community across all our programs.
Bridge makes sure to mark important moments in young people’s lives by celebrating holidays, hosting graduation ceremonies, and recognizing milestones. This shows youth that they have a community that cares for them and acknowledges their accomplishments, as well as people with whom they can enjoy life’s big and small moments.
Our team also sets up field trips, such as outings to go bowling, to karaoke, or out to dinner. There are also frequent trips to shows, concerts, and other cultural events. There, the youth get a chance to take a break from their complicated and stressful lives and just enjoy, as well as a chance to be exposed to experiences that they might not otherwise have access to.
“They left the show happier and more enthused about life, even if just for a day or two. This kind of morale boost is really important to kids in situations that can
feel frustrating and hopeless,” said a team member who brought youth to see the musical Hamilton.
Youth in our Emergency Residence and Transitional Living Program also have weekly community dinners. These events bring the youth together as a family, helping them connect with their housemates or dormmates. Everyone cooks together, shares meals, has group discussions, and trades stories of their accomplishments and challenges.
These outings and group experiences help build a sense of community at Bridge, uniting our young adults and helping them develop connections amongst themselves and with our team members at Bridge.
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Spring Newsletter 2024
A Special Birthday Celebration for Bridge
Every five years since turning 65, David Story has hosted a party for friends and raised funds for a meaningful organization.
David does a lot of research in choosing which nonprofit to support. This year, after speaking to friends who recommended Bridge to him and examining various nonprofits that his church has supported in the past, as well as seeing Bridge’s #WhatISayWhatIMean campaign in ads on the T, he decided on Bridge.
“I chose Bridge because I was looking for an organization catering towards youth, specifically LGBTQ youth,” David said. Bridge is well-versed in serving LGBTQ+ youth, as they are disproportionately more likely to become homeless, and they make up 20% of our young adult population. Bridge is a safe space for all youth, empowering them to identify however they choose and supporting them on their journeys of self-discovery.
David and his generous friends raised $5,000 for Bridge — a successful party indeed!
BRIDGE LEADERSHIP
Elisabeth Jackson Named to Mass. Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission
Bridge President and CEO Elisabeth Jackson has been appointed to the Massachusetts Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission (UHYC) by Governor Maura Healey. Jackson was sworn in during a brief ceremony at the State House on April 8th.
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Interested in hosting an event to benefit Bridge? Contact donations@bridgeotw.org!
BRIDGE BLURBS
Winter Walkers raise over $38,000 for Bridge
On February 11, 3,500 people joined together for the 8th annual Winter Walk. In total, Bridge supporters and walkers raised over $38,000 to support Bridge programming! We are grateful to the individuals and groups who supported Bridge, as well as to our corporate sponsors, such as MFS, BOMA, CMBG3 Law, and Snow Cap Video Solutions.
A special thanks to Cooper Davis, who raised $2,700 for Bridge and came in as the 10th highest fundraiser across the entire Winter Walk!
Thank you to everyone who walked with us this year for dedicating their time, money, and resources to raise awareness and help solve the issue of youth homelessness. The Winter Walk is a powerful reminder of what we can do when we join forces towards the goal of ending homelessness.
SAFE PLACE
Safe Place Program: A Closer Look
To mark National Safe Place Week (Mar 17-23), we spoke to Bridge Adolescent Counselor Rachel Sibbles about the Bridge Safe Place network in Eastern Massachusetts.
What exactly is Safe Place?
Safe Place is a national network of sites where youth under 18 can go to get help. Safe Place sites are marked by a yellow and black Safe Place sign, which signifies a place, such as a library or a community center, where youth can get help from trained staff and get connected to resources.
How is Bridge involved with Safe Place?
Safe Place sites are organized by region, and Bridge is the lead agency for the Eastern Massachusetts region. Bridge manages a Safe Place network of 42 sites in the Greater Boston area, which means that when youth visit these Safe Place sites, they will be connected to Bridge.
To read more about Safe Place, scan the QR code below.
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IN THIS ISSUE
Bridge creates a sense of community for young adults
Elisabeth Jackson takes a seat on the MA Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission
A closer look at the Safe Place program Bridge’s team and friends at this year’s Winter Walk
Elisabeth Jackson speaks at TEDxBoston
When do you become an adult?
-Is it when you get your first job? - Is it when you graduate college? - Is it simply when you turn 18?
In her recent talk at TEDxBoston, Elisabeth Jackson discusses the problems with how our culture thinks about youth development as if everyone is fullyfledged adults at 18.
To watch the full talk, scan the QR code here:
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