Ruthie S., a creative and community-minded high school student at Upper Mississippi Academy, has dedicated her time and talents as a weekly Wednesday shopping volunteer at Bridging for the past seven months. Finding joy in “making real connections with people as they furnish their homes,” Ruthie knew she wanted to design her senior capstone project…
A father, U.S. Veteran, and a native of St. Paul, Roland is glad to be living in the heart of his old neighborhood. At age 54, Roland’s incredible work ethic and optimism have equipped him for fulfilling adventures across the country and overseas, and eventually at Bridging. With optimism and wisdom — and always…
Cargill is honored to be a Platinum sponsor for the 25th-annual Bedrace for Bridging. The Cargill team has been having a winter blast at the Bedrace since 2012, and this special anniversary marks their 12th year of sponsoring the event. Julian Chase, Cargill’s leader of Business Operations and Supply Chain, is passionate about the mission…
November is #ThanksGivingBack month for St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS® (SPAAR). For the past several years, they have sponsored an annual dresser build at Bridging in addition to volunteering at numerous other community organizations. Together, this service-minded group upholds the REALTORS Charitable Foundation’s mission to improve the quality of life within communities where its…
Meet Joyce Reinke, a 15+-year volunteer extraordinaire with Bridging, an active life-long volunteer, a great-grandmother, and a trailblazer in the volunteer coordinator community. She begins each week — on Monday mornings —as a volunteer at Bridging, shopping alongside clients as they select furniture and essential household goods and transition to housing stability. “This is the…
Lives We Touch Donor Story: Holly K. Donates Bed to Offer a Good Night’s Sleep Holly keeps Bridging at the “top-of-mind” as she assesses her household needs. She learned about Bridging many years ago at a company department gathering that included a household goods drive for Bridging. Her employer, The Toro Company, is a longtime…
Group Volunteering Fosters Communication, Teamwork, and Problem-Solving Skills Each year, Bridging is grateful to host more than 100 groups comprised of more than 2,000 volunteers, altogether contributing nearly 6,000 hours of service! These diverse groups include volunteers from the corporate world, faith-based organizations, civic and student groups, athletic teams, alumni clubs, groups of friends and…
Lives We Touch: Caseworker Ella Washington, Breaking Free* Housing Advocate Ella Washington “wears many hats” at Breaking Free, an organization with a mission to end all forms of sex trafficking and prostitution. Breaking Free empowers survivors of sex trafficking and prostitution by providing housing services, case management, advocacy, referrals, and other resources. Working at…
Bridging’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned us top rankings on three national evaluators.
By Beth Schultz-Smith One week into my new role as the new part-time Communications Coordinator at Bridging, I am excited to share my first reflections about this extraordinary organization and team. So far, I have been immersed in the incredible work that happens here each day, surrounded by welcoming staff, volunteers, and clients. Absorbing…
