As COVID-19 continues to spread, the future has never felt so unpredictable. These are challenging times for us all, and we hope your family and you are in good spirits and health! Right now, Community Bridges is doing everything possible to sustain our daily operations and to provide virtual programming and services to all of our girls and families. While there’s a lot of uncertainty, we know that we need to adapt fast to our changing reality and to continue serving our Community Bridges girls. Now, more than ever, our community needs us! And our Community Bridges girls’ need you!
Community Bridges girl, Betsi Shifferraw, imagined her senior year being the last hoorah of high school. She envisioned going to prom with her friends and walking across the stage to receive her diploma. Due to the strange and difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, her senior year quickly got turned upside down!
Even through a global health crisis, Betsi knows that brighter days are yet to come. In the fall, Betsi will attend Loyola University with an intention to major in Communication and minor in Film Studies. Through the help of the Community Bridges College and Career Planning Program, Betsi was still able to receive virtual one-on-one individualized sessions during this time of being at home.
“CB has helped me understand the process of applying to college and guided me through each step of the financial process. My advice to CB girls is to use every opportunity and resource CB offers. They help you through the process step by step, so don’t take it for granted. Remember to always ask for help if you don’t understand something because every question is important,” says Betsi.
Betsi joined the CB Girls Program her freshman year of high school. Since then, she’s been an active member in the after-school program, the Volunteer Program, the Mentoring Program and the College and Career Planning Program. Her favorite memory with CB was visiting Children’s National Medical Center and giving the patients puzzles that she designed and created with her cohort out of recycled wood. “Volunteering at CB exposed me to being with younger teens who have different backgrounds. It’s about unity and courage. Volunteering helped me learn a lot about identity and to have each other’s back,“ says Betsi.
With your support and partnership, Community Bridges can continue helping girls virtually in Montgomery County break barriers and attend college. If you’re able to make a donation, please join us by donating here or send a check to Community Bridges, 8757 Georgia Ave, Suite 540, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Through the CARES Act, all donors who give during this time will receive a tax break, whether or not they take the standard deduction. If you’re unable to donate at this time, there are many other ways you can support us. If you are available and able to virtually volunteer, please email us at inform@communitybridges-md.org to get involved today. You can advocate for us by sharing our mission with a family member or friend. Even a quick mention on your social media would mean the world to us!
Today more than ever we need supporters like you to give girls in our community a chance to join Community Bridges through our CB Girls program. In 2019-2020, the CB Girls Program is on track to serve over 425 girls and 400 families through 16 Montgomery County Public Schools. While we are so proud of our success, there is more we can do with the help of supporters like you. In times like this, we’re reminded of how connected we all are. Thank you for being part of the Community Bridges family. Without you, none of it is possible!