Bridging’s Executive Director Mark Wilkening Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Executive Director Mark Wilkening is celebrating his 10^th anniversary with Bridging. We’re excited to celebrate Mark and his incredible milestone!

Mark is an esteemed leader and down-to-earth Bridging team member devoted to the important work of furnishing homes with hope. With humility and gratitude, Mark has navigated exciting opportunities and challenges at Bridging alongside a dedicated team of staff, volunteers, and partners.

What makes Mark so good at what he does? His contributions day in and day out reflect Bridging’s values: dignity, partnership, service, excellence, and stewardship. Whether you have just met him or have known him for years, you can feel Mark’s genuine care and respect for people. He has a natural ability to listen to what others have to say. Mark leads with intention, ensuring that Bridging nimbly adapts and grows to meet community needs, while staying true to its mission. He is appreciated for his willingness to jump in wherever needed and “stack hands” with the many partners who participate in Bridging’s important work.

One of Mark’s signature remarks is: “It’s an exciting time at Bridging!” because there IS always something exciting happening at Bridging. Mark is excited to share his personal reflections about what has made Bridging community-focused, inspirational, and fun during the last decade:

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Q: Mark, you’re celebrating 10 years at Bridging. And 35 years in the nonprofit sector! What is so special about Bridging?

A: The things that brought me to Bridging are the things that have kept me here. To me, it’s the collection of everyone coming together to do their part to help execute our mission, making this part of our world a little better for everyone. That’s the beauty of Bridging.

Our mission is unique. We serve 5,300+ households each year and provide all the furnishings to turn someone’s house into a home. Equally important is how we do that. We have the privilege of interacting with each person, but only for a very short time. We’re just one stop on a person’s journey. We show dignity and deep respect for each person. They are experiencing our core values.

Over the years, we’ve stayed focused on providing furniture and housewares. We’re doing what we do best, which is furnishing homes with hope. And we’re able to accomplish our mission through a model that makes sense: People who no longer have a need for the items are sharing with those in the community who do need them.

Hundreds of incredible volunteers and a talented staff carry out our day-to-day operations. That’s really unique. Add our diverse and extensive network of partnerships in the community — all of this together makes Bridging a special place to be.

Q: Why is Bridging’s work important to you?

A: My beliefs align with Bridging’s vision that everyone deserves to live in a furnished home. For me our work begins and ends here.

I also greatly value Bridging’s focus on reuse, keeping an estimated 14 million pounds out of the landfill each year, while quality furnishings are enjoyed in a new home.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your role as Bridging’s executive director?

A: The relationships are what matter most to me. It’s important to hear people’s stories, whether it’s a staff member, volunteer, or recipient of Bridging’s services that we’re working with side by side. I’ve learned so much.

We work together, problem solve, and come up with a creative solution. Awhile back, we pondered how to increase donations and inventory to serve more households. We brainstormed and methodically implemented a plan to open our new Plymouth location.

Q: What have been some of the biggest Bridging milestones you’ve been a part of?

A: There are so many incredible milestones. Here are a few that stand out to me.

The move and opening of our new Roseville location in 2016 is memorable. The new building helped us meet the community’s demand for our services in the Northern suburbs with more inventory and shopping appointments. Hitting the pavement with founder Fran to successfully complete our $4.25 million capital campaign was something I’ll always remember. When Fran shared Bridging’s mission with prospective donors and businesses, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, and no wasn’t an answer.”

Serving our 100,000 household (which encompasses more than 300,000 people in those households) was a very memorable milestone. It was truly celebratory in that what began as a seemingly small gesture of someone donating a piece of furniture in 1987 along with a passionate, visionary founder (Fran) created such amazing impact and hope in the community; all the while continuing to serve with dignity and respect.

The team’s work navigating through COVID was incredible. We wanted to make sure that families could still have furnished homes when the world was social distancing and shelter in place orders were in effect. Bridging was only closed for a few weeks before staff and a core group of volunteers launched a small and mighty team with its COVID-safe operations. We also created our virtual shopping method, so families could select furnishings even when they couldn’t enter our warehouses during the pandemic. The virtual shopping appointment remains a convenient and accessible shopping option to this day.

Opening our third location in Plymouth in March of 2025 was an exciting milestone for Bridging. With the community’s continually rising needs for our services, growth had been on the horizon for Bridging for some time. It took years of planning and collaboration to make it happen.

Q: In your 10 years of Bridging, there must be countless stories and memories that come to mind. What are a few of your favorite or most memorable moments?

A: There are so many memorable moments. Here are a few:

I remember Fran shopping the first client in our new Roseville facility. He was elated to serve, and even more so when found out she had many small children. Fran’s reaction when he saw the sign for the new Roseville building was also special. When it was unveiled, and he saw that the building was named after him, he closed his eyes and shook his head in gratitude.
Being on the Kelly Clarkson Show was something I’d never done before! It was fun to be selected and, on Zoom, share our vision with viewers from across the country and around the world. Afterward, it was fun to read the comments on Facebook and YouTube. People were amazed by our mission and said, “We could use a Bridging in our city!”
Every time I joined the delivery team and watched a client’s appreciation as their items were brought in, it was special. I remember two kids chasing a Bridging truck as we were looking for the address of their home. We pulled up and unloaded the truck. “Our mom told us we’re going to get our own beds,” they said. “We’ve never had a bed before.” They were so excited. I’ll never forget that.