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Spring 2012 Newsletter
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1
Newsletter Summer 2012
On June 5th, more than 50 people gathered at the Claremont Corporate Center
on Springfield Avenue to hear the highlights of this fiscal year, to thank our retiring
board members and to welcome new board members. Every individual present
represented a different aspect of Bridges’ volunteer force from lunch-makers to core
volunteers to teen recipients of the Founder’s award and all the roles in between that
helped Bridges deliver over 100,000 brown bag meals to over 500 people each week
last year. We are abundantly grateful for the support of over 1,500 volunteers who
help us in our outreach every year and many more that support us behind the scenes
making lunches, collecting clothing and toiletries.
The annual meeting was an opportunity to thank our outgoing board co-chairs
Janice Beckmen and Kathryn Radutzky for their leadership over the last two years.
During their tenure, Bridges expanded its outreach in Newark and Irvington to include
more Run locations; the Core volunteer program was initiated; the Coalition of Services
became a reality; and a new five-year plan was established. Both Janice and Kathryn
will remain actively on the board.
Other retiring board members who were also thanked are Amy Cairns, who will
remain active as Core volunteer coordinator; Rabbi Ellie Miller; and John Vigilante.
The new slate of officers was overwhelmingly confirmed and announced at the
annual meeting as follows: Bethany Tulloch, Chair; Donald E. Blaesser, Sr., Vice-Chair;
Bob Rowan, Treasurer; and Victoria Smith, Secretary.
Bridges welcomed new board members to the board. Amanda Parrish Block, a
native of Summit and one of Bridges’ first high school volunteers, has returned to
Summit with her family. She has been a homeless advocate in New York City and
Chicago creating “street sheets,” a printed resource booklet of free and low-cost
services for individuals in need. The Street Sheets, now updated monthly and in
numerous editions, are distributed among hundreds of organizations to thousands of
underserved individuals to this day. Amanda is currently creating Street Sheets for
Newark where this updated resource guide is urgently needed.
Rob Pullen, a past corporate executive, successfully combined his passions for
food and helping others by working at a local program where food safety and cooking
skills were taught to ex-cons and long-term unemployed. Since moving to Summit, Rob
has volunteered with Bridges and has offered to take on the role of kitchen and food
safety.
Bridges Board of Trustees
2012-2013
Board Chair Bethany Tulloch Vice Chair Donald E. Blaesser, Sr. Secretary Victoria Smith Treasurer Bob Rowan Board of Trustees Janice Beckmen Amanda Parrish Block Alison V. Bryant Coni Frezzo Laura Fromm Kelly Fulton Brian Ginsburg Jon Maslin Bilal Muhammad Leonard Prentice Kathryn Radutzky Rob Pullan William Tyus Dimitri Vorona Geoff Worden Honorary Trustees Judy Newhouse Sarah Rosen Susan Tully Ginger Worden Executive Director Lois Bhatt Volunteer Coordinator Craig Prince Run Coordinators Chip Cliffe Dan RosenHanst Run Assistant Will Bradley Data Manager Lisa Fitzsimons
Board of Directors—Thank You and Welcome
2
Camp Days
This summer 60 children from the Newark
Emergency Residency Program, a shelter at the
Newark YMCA, will go to a sleep-away camp near
Pennsylvania this summer. The overnight camp
provides an amazing opportunity for children from
a city shelter to live in the great outdoors, hike,
swim, and make lasting friendships. As with all
children that go away to summer camp, the
children from the ERP return with a maturity and a
new vision of the world.
If you have ever sent a child to camp, you know
the list of what they need is long. Help us send the
children from the Y to camp this summer. Help a
child go to camp with all they need by donating:
New flashlights with batteries
New swimming goggles
Bug repellent
Sun screen
Twin sheets (gently used)
Camp donations accepted through July 3rd on
Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays
from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bridges (Oakes
Center), 120 Morris Ave (entrance on Russell
Place), Summit.
Special Days for Sheltered Children
Once again, this summer through the generous
funding of the Sarah Ward Foundation and The
Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation, Bridges will
provide two unique summer opportunities for
children at the Newark Emergency Residency
(ERP) Shelter and high school students from
Bridges’ Teens Tackle Homelessness (TTH)
Committee. The teens will go the Apollo Theater
in Harlem for Amateur Night on June 27th. A night
in this iconic theater should be a unique
Summer is here!
Everyone loves a parade!
Bridges kicked off the unofficial start of summer in the Summit Memorial
Day Parade on Monday, May 28th.
Memorial Day
experience for both the TTH and ERP teens.
Another day is planned at the Natural History
Museum in New York City with a picnic in Central
Park on July 19th with a rain date of July 20th. This
will be an opportunity for the younger children at
the ERP to enjoy a day in the City partnered with a
teen from TTH. We expect they will be awestruck
by the dinosaurs and all that the museum has to
offer.
Last summer’s picnic at the Harmony House, a
shelter in Newark, was so much fun that we can’t
wait to go back. Picnic food, yards games and time
for the children to hang out with teens for TTH
made this a “repeat” event.
Volunteer this Summer
Summer is good time to volunteer with Bridges –
we need the help and lunches and perhaps you
have just a little extra time after a busy winter.
Many of our volunteers are groups from schools and
houses of worship. While they take a well-deserved
vacation, we often find ourselves shorthanded or
short on lunches in the summer. High school
students with a parent or adults are welcomed to
join us.
Just in time for summer, our volunteer sign-up
page on our website just got easier. Check it out at
www.bridgesoutreach.org.
COMING SOON!
CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!
WATCH FOR DETAILS
3
Brown Bag Meals
FOOD SAFETY: Keeping food fresh and safe is important. To help,
follow these simple guidelines: 1) wrap sandwiches in
zip lock bags; 2) do NOT put sandwiches in brown
bags – keep separate; 3) keep refrigerated until
delivery. We will put sandwiches in to our
refrigerators and then into coolers until distribution.
LUNCH BROWN BAG LUNCHES Meat sandwich (see Guidelines for Sandwich
Making above)
Fruit: grapes, clementines, bananas, pears &
other soft fruit or fruit cups with spoons. Note:
apples can be difficult for many with dental issues.
Savory Snack: chips, pretzels
Sweet Snack: cakes, cookies, cereal bars, candy
Drink: juice box or water
Napkin
“SUSTAINABLE” LUNCHES:
Sustainable lunches have a longer shelf life. They
give you the flexibility of making the lunches at your
convenience and delivering them on any regular
donation day. They give us the ability to supplement
fresh lunches when we are in need. They can also be
given along with a fresh lunch and kept for the next
day or another time. Our goal is to collect 2,000
sustainable lunches this year and increase that
number to 10,000 over the next five years.
Pouches of tuna or chicken (such Chicken of the Sea
or Starkist – pouches, unlike cans, do not require
draining). We are working on finding ways to
purchase these items wholesale.
Package of crackers
Fruit cup with spoon
Savory Snack: chips, pretzels
Sweet Snack: cakes, cookies, cereal bars, candy
Drink: juice box or water
Napkin
BREAKFAST BROWN BAG:
In an effort to provide a healthy breakfast, please
refrain from including candy and chips in the
breakfast bags. Please note that instant coffee, tea,
oatmeal or other items that require hot water are
no longer requested. It is too difficult for people
living on the street to find hot water.
Granola bars
Small box of cereal and long-shelf life milk (such as
Parmalet)
Fruit cups with spoons or dried fruit and nuts
Juice box
Clearly mark bags as “BREAKFAST”
GUIDELINES
FOR BROWN BAG MEALS:
Wash hands and use surgical gloves.
Approximately one pound of meat makes six to
eight sandwiches.
Loaves of bread vary in size.
Call a grocery store a day or two ahead to order
sliced meat.
Warehouse stores are a good place to buy fruit,
drinks, and treats.
Use mayonnaise and mustard packets. Do not put
condiments on sandwiches.
Avoid mayonnaise in warm weather.
Many of our friends have dental problems. Note:
apples can be difficult for people with dental
problems.
Fruit cups are a good alternative to fresh fruit -
remember spoons!
Large packages of cookies may be divided and
bagged.
Wrap sandwiches in zip lock bags.
Do NOT put sandwiches in brown bags – keep
separate so that they can remain refrigerated until
delivery.
Keep sandwiches refrigerated until delivery.
NEW!
YOU HAV E MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO DELIVER 100,000
BROWN BAGS MEALS THIS YEAR. THANK YOU!
4
Bridges was greatly honored to be acknowledged by
Senator Richard Codey, twice Governor of New
Jersey, at a press conference he held at Penn
Station on Monday, May 14th. Codey, while
announcing new bills that he will propose to the
legislature to aid the homeless, recognized Bridges'
outreach to the homeless and in particular, Bridges'
Coalition of Services.
For more on the press conference, link to the
following articles:
http://njtoday.net/2012/05/01/codey-announces-
plan-to-combat-homelessness-in-new-jersey/
http://www.politickernj.com/56496/codey-
announces-plan-combat-homelessness-new-jersey
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/
sen_codey_proposes_housing_pla.html
At Senator Codey's request, Lois Bhatt, Executive
Director spoke on behalf of Bridges in more detail
about the Coalition of Services. Below is an excerpt
of her comments.
“...We recognize that while there are services
available for the homeless, they are scattered
throughout Essex County and they are often
difficult to reach. Knowing where supportive
services are located and obtaining the proper
documentation to apply for assistance can be
daunting and deter many homeless from pursuing
help. Not having a phone or money for public
transportation to travel to the different agencies
presents an additional obstacle for those struggling
to obtain assistance.
Bridges' Coalition of Services was established to
eliminate these obstacles by providing an
immediate and direct link to resources for the
homeless in neighborhoods where they live.
Bridges' Coalition of Services was launched on
December 12, 2011, and continues the second
Monday of every month rotating to three distinct
neighborhoods in Newark, where a high homeless
population is known to live. On each Coalition
outreach, health and social service providers are
available for immediate services. Typically, services
include a mobile medical van; a doctor and nurse;
HIV testing vans; legal services; mental health
services; housing referrals; and job training.
Bridges' distinctive yellow truck and team of
volunteers providing food, clothing and personal
necessities draw large groups of homeless from
the neighborhood to the Coalition.
The success of the Coalition of Services is
attributed to the partnerships we have built with
other health and social service providers including
among others:
Essex County Division of Welfare
Essex-Newark Legal Services
The G.I. Go Fund
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation
Mental Health Assoc. of Essex County, Inc.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark Division of Homeless Healthcare
Newark Renaissance House
North Jersey Community Research
Initiative
Office of the Mayor Cory A. Booker
(Newark 50 Project)
PROCEED, Inc.
Project Live, Inc.
Prudential.
U.S. Department of Veteran’s
Administration
On average, at each of the first 5 Coalition
outreaches, 65 people accessed services while
another 65 come just for food. On these
outreaches, people have received direct medical
care, testing for HIV and immediate access to
treatment when necessary, and intake for housing
and mental health services which, on several
occasions, has led to supportive housing.
Bridges is committed to the long-term
sustainability of its Coalition of Services with the
ultimate goal of helping people access services
that will help them off the street and into long
term housing, allowing them to become
independent members of our community. Toward
that end, Governor Codey's proposals and
legislation outlined today will go a long way in
addressing the many and complicated issues facing
those who are homeless among us…”
Contact us to learn more about Bridges' Coalition
of Services and how you or your company can get
involved.
COALITION RECOGNIZED BY SENATOR RICHARD CODEY
The Community Foundation of New Jersey is available to provide donors with a full range of planned giving opportunities.
5
TEENS RECEIVE FOUNDER’S AWARD
The Founder’s Award is granted each spring
to one or more high school juniors or
graduating seniors in honor of the co-founders
of Bridges, Ginger and Geoff Worden; the first
Executive Director, Ellen Maher; the first Board
of Trustees; and early volunteers.
The award is given to those individuals who
have faithfully and effectively engaged with
fellow students to support the work of Bridges
and who have proven to be a friend to the
homeless with whom we are in
community. These individuals will also exhibit
traits, which in the opinion of the Bridges Board
of Trustees, will enable them to continue to
thoughtfully and lovingly touch the world in
important and meaningful ways. In honor of the
recipients, children from a Newark shelter will
go to a summer camp program.
Over 1,500 volunteers participate in a Bridges’
Run every year; more than half are high school
students.
This year’s junior class award recipients are:
Dylann Ephraimson, Morristown Beard
Cici Flannigan, Summit High School
Jack McCaffery, The Pingry School
Matt Munro, Oratory Prep
Lainie Rowland, Madison High School
Antoinio Siderio, Bonnie Brae
July Toohey, Kent Place School
Will van Nispen, Millburn High School
Senior class award recipients are:
Rachael Edelson, Oak Knoll School
Jennifer Gonzalez, Governor Livingston High
School
Abby Krupnick, Summit High School
Stephanie Mangina, Roselle Catholic High
School
Maria Isabella Pontoriero, Oak Knoll School
Congratulations to the recipients
of the 2012 Bridges’ Founder’s Award.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS -
GET MORE INVOLVED WITH BRIDGES
Join the Teens Tackle Homeless Steering
Committee facebook page: Bridges Teen Steering
Committee or contact: Dan RosenHanst,
danny@bridgesoutreach.net.
This summer, we volunteer activities planned for
you. Read about summer activities for sheltered
children on page 2.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS -
SAVE THE DATE
TEENS TACKLE HOMELESSNESS
CONFERENCE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012
KENT PLACE SCHOOL
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
SENATOR RICHARD CODEY, TWICE
TEEN NEWS
Junior Class Founder’s Award Recipients present to receive awards at Bridges Annual Meeting on June 4th.
L-R: Jack McCaffery, Will van Nispen, Julia Toohey,
Danny RosenHanst (Coordinator); Cici Flannigan,
Laine Rowland, Antonio Siderio.
6
2nd Monday
Bridges is looking for volunteer groups to make 300
brown bag lunches and to participate in the Coalition
of Services Runs on the 2nd Monday of each month
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This is an ideal opportunity for
employees who are looking for volunteer
opportunities during the weekday. Friday Volunteer Opportunity
We are looking for individuals who are
interested in a meaningful and regular volunteer
opportunity. Bridges “core volunteers” participate at
least once a month, sometimes more often, on the
Friday night Run to New York City. The role of these
volunteers are social and interactive. You will not be
asked to bring lunches or other items. We are
asking you for your time, friendship, and
compassion.
Volunteer
Sorting Donations
We receive literally tons of donations every
year. All items need to sorted. Volunteers may
join in the sorting any Tuesday between 9 and 3
and/or Fridays between 9 and 6. Time on your
hands? Stop by. For more details and to register for volunteer activities, contact Craig Prince, Volunteer
Coordinator at volunteerbridges@gmail.com.
High School Students join the Teens
Tackle Homeless Committee and participate in
summer activities as well as planning for the Teen
Conference in November. Contact:
danny@bridgesoutreach.net.
New Location in Newark – Bridges is pleased to
announce a new partnership with the Good Samari-
tan Christian Church on Avon Avenue in Newark. We
will be visiting Good Samaritan on the first Saturday
of the month after our Penn Station outreach. On
our first outreach there in May, we met about 30
homeless men from the Avon Avenue neighborhood.
We look forward to working with Pastor Brian Rawls
and his congregation on this outreach.
Bridges Runs to Civic Square in Irvington began
in January 2011. The Runs started with about just
20 individuals who were homeless in that neighbor-
hood, but the Run has now group to 75 plus people
in need. We will now be making this stop every Sun-
day except the first Sunday of the month when we
will continue to visit the Irvington Neighborhood Im-
provement Corporation.
Summer volunteer and lunches needed.
www.bridgesoutreach.org
RUN NEWS
Rachel Rothchild receiving the Silver Award from the Girl
Scouts of Central and Southern NJ at the Silver Award
Ceremony on May 18th. For her Silver project, Rachel
organized three troops from Edison, Metuchen and Highland
Park to make hundred of breakfast bags and toiletry kits for
Bridges.
7
Denville Community Church joined us on another run and brought Men’s jeans and T-shirts.
Thanks to Julia who organized a flip flop drive in her school. The footwear will go to the Newark children going to camp for two weeks.
Students from Allen W. Roberts Elementary School on their AWR PRIDE Day making lunches for Bridges.
Alex made over 100 Brown Bag Lunches for Bridges as part of his Mitzvah Project
Pingry students and faculty out with our Core volunteers in NYC. Thanks all the nurses at Overlook Hospital that organized and donated toiletries in honor of “Nurse’s Week.”
8
Chatham Girl Scouts celebrate the G. S. 100th birthday by buying supplies & making 100 Lunches for Bridges with their cookie money.
Students from the PEP program in Summit continues to volunteer with Bridges on our Runs to NYC.
The students at The Pingry School did an awesome job of decorating the lunch bags.
Kent Place & Delbarton joining forces for a Friday NYC Run.
Ms. Richeda's class celebrating their 100th day of preschool by donating 100 toothbrushes and toothpaste to Bridges.
Matthew Munro from Oratory Prep contacted Hanes on behalf of Bridges & requested a sock donation. Hanes delivered over 5,000 pairs of socks thanks to Matt!!!