Behind the Scenes at Bridging: Featuring Director of Programs and Services Jennifer Nielsen
How exactly does Bridging Furnish Homes with Hope?
When someone comes to Bridging they select a foundational household setup, according to their needs and preferences, to support their day-to-day activities and comfort. An empty apartment or house is transformed into a home with these essential furnishings, helping to provide stability and hope.
Bridging serves more than 100 households per week, primarily in the Twin Cities, and more than 4600 households each year!
There is so much that happens behind the scenes at Bridging and in the community that make Bridging’s important work possible. Bridging’s
Director of Programs and Services, Jennifer Nielsen, leads Bridging’s three key service areas — Client Services, Volunteer Services, and Warehouse Operations — each of which interface with the public and with recipients of Bridging’s services. She provides a glimpse into the people, processes, and partnerships that align to support Bridging’s mission.
“Bridging provides furniture and home furnishings to people who need it. We also intake furniture for people who no longer need it and want to reuse. We act as a liaison for people who don’t have a place for their furniture and people who can use it. This full circle aspect of Bridging is really unique,” she says.
“Bridging’s client services, volunteer services, and warehouse operations all have to work in tandem to provide excellent coordinated service to the community.”
Bridging is a furniture bank, sustained by the community and operated by 40+ Bridging staff members and 500+ daily volunteers who work at Bridging’s two Twin Cities locations.
Client Services
Every experience with Bridging is about dignity and a person-centered approach. All are welcome at Bridging, and the Bridging team demonstrates respect through efforts to understand each person’s diverse strengths and needs.
“Client services is almost like guest relations,” she says. “We’re working with guests who come in to access our services and shop for furniture as they furnish their homes. Most often, people have gone through a transition, and often that transition could include trauma and challenges. Our team is really focused on dignity: ‘What do you need? What do you want?’ and supports dignity of choice as they select furnishings for their home. We want to ensure that people have a positive experience.”
Community members may secure a referral to Bridging’s services through more than 260 registered agency partners.
Volunteer Services
Volunteers are essential to every aspect of Bridging’s work including shopping with clients, inventory intake, quality control, and other assistance in the warehouse. More than 500 daily volunteers and thousands of group volunteers provide more than 62,000 volunteer hours at Bridging each year.
“Bridging was voted best place to volunteer in the Twin Cities. We have volunteers who are engaged. They are our best ambassadors. If someone is technical they may work in our electrical shop, a people person may enjoy shopping with clients, someone who wants to do heavy lifting may help in the warehouse, or someone who enjoys administrative work may be an office volunteer. To see how much of our operations and relationships with the community rely on volunteers is humbling,” says Jen.
Warehouse and Delivery Team
The warehouse and delivery team also plays an instrumental role in managing Bridging’s inventory of home furnishings and their transition from the donors to the recipients who will enjoy these items in their homes.
The team accepts donations of furniture and household goods at Bridging’s two warehouse locations, ensuring high quality standards. The team also coordinates and completes fee-based residential curbside furniture pickups.
“Each day it’s amazing to see the warehouse team at work. Their energy is tangible and contagious as they work to problem-solve and ensure clients and donors have a positive experience,” she says. “The team ensures 120 households receive their furniture each week by delivering that furniture five days per week.”
Bigger than Bridging
Bridging is a part of an individual or family’s path to housing stability, one resource or step on the journey, as they determine their next steps and navigate an often complex system of organizations and resources.
“We do a great job partnering in the community. We also have places where we can improve,” says Jen.
“We are making strides to listen better to agencies and clients. We need to help in breaking down barriers within the larger housing and social services systems, and make sure we at Bridging are not adding to the barriers that the BIPOC community and other marginalized communities face. It’s my belief that it is our responsibility to offer ways to overcome those challenges, so people don’t have to jump through hoops and face these barriers. Homelessness is often a symptom of racial inequity. Racial justice needs to be a foundational part of what we do.”
Look for more Behind the Scenes at Bridging stories to learn about the people and community partners who help make Bridging’s work possible.
