Staff Spotlight: Sasha Benitez-Wise
05/02/2024 This post was written by Beth Smith
Warehouse and Delivery Team Member – Roseville
Joined Bridging in 2022
Why does Bridging’s mission matter?
“There’s a huge need out there. We’re serving more and more people. Bridging works with so many other agencies that also provide services, and more resources are needed out there.”
What do you like best about working at Bridging?
“I’m able to be in a place where I can have a positive impact in someone’s life because there was a time in my life when Bridging did that for me. It’s come full circle. I remember what it was like for me two years ago when I was a client. We don’t know how Bridging will impact each person or family, but it’s one stop on their road that matters. It’s impactful.”
“My job, it’s a feel-good job. It’s not something that I stress about. It’s only good things for the most part. The mission brings people together. And we’re working with people who care.”
What’s special about Bridging?
“People just LOVE Bridging. When we’re out on the roads, people will wave at us in the trucks. Former clients, family members and volunteers will walk out of their way, come up to us, and tell us how they’re connected to Bridging. It means that much to them. It’s amazing. If you think of the number of people who have been served since 1987 — 115,000 households / 345,000 individuals— that’s a huge number of people! There are a lot of Bridging fans out there!”
Outside of Bridging/Beyond Bridging
“I love exploring with my family! We love experiencing things that are unfamiliar to us. The coolest place we went to in Minnesota is the petroglyphs – Jeffers petroglyphs in Pipestone, Minnesota. We like to visit these places that have good energy!”
“I like to empower people and families. For me, it’s about making connections with people. I like to connect people to a resource called Aanjibimaadizing. It means “changing lives” in Ojibwe. I try to direct people to a lot of different resources in the community.”
What’s a “fun fact” about you?
Before Bridging I was a teacher from 2010-2021 and graduated from Augsburg University.