The new year is here and it's January 74th... or so it feels.
I have been intentionally praying for years and sharing the fire in my heart to create a non-profit for women needing a safe place to transition through life changes. Some of these life changes may be: being released from incarceration, transitioning out of homelessness, needing additional time after a mental health IOP or other treatment, or in need of a safe community to stay sober, clean, or away from toxic relationships.
The working mission statement for Common Bridge is:
Creating safe community for women to support healing through life transitions.
Right now, I am working on creating a board of directors and a group of people with talent that I do not possess that would be willing to offer their knowledge and occasionally their time to help especially in the formative stages of this adventure. Here are some potential current volunteer positions you might be interested in:
Funding - responsible for meeting the board’s fundraising and sponsorship goals. They will work with other volunteers in fundraising campaigns, seeking out major gifts and grants, and building corporate and community partnerships.
Operations - First-hand knowledge of resources and programs currently available for our clientele. Information that can differentiate us from similar nonprofits who aren’t as well tuned to those they serve. Valuable insights into the needs of our customers.
Community - leaders with the knowledge and expertise needed to make sound business choices. Have or build connections with other executives and community leaders who can serve as contributors and help spread the word about your organization.
We will also need:
Service Professionals - attorneys, accountants, and bankers who can serve as content matter experts by serving as a resource to review contracts, financial documents, agreements, etc., and also provide insight and suggestions when making decisions.
People with lived experience - to mentor, train, and be a part of the community to further networking and support of the individuals that come through.
Churches & Other organizations - to partner with and create a holistic community and networking structure.
As things progress, there will be more specific needs and positions that will open and eventually paid positions, but for now, the main focus is to file the paperwork for Common Bridge to become a non-profit in Rhode Island as soon as we have a board put together. I would love to have anyone interested join me on a zoom meeting in February, to discuss our needs and your ability to help. If you are interested, please send me a message and be sure to choose "Common Bridge" from the dropdown menu. I will be sending out an invitation to meet in the first week of February. If you know of anyone who may be interested in joining us, please share this information with them.
Thank you in for all your prayers and support in this journey.
(not the final logo... trying out different RI bridges)