Thank You To All Our Amazing Volunteers and Donators!

Our 2018 Rare Breed Summer Block Party was a HUGE success!!!! It would not have been possible without all of our amazing volunteers and those who donated items/goods, their time and any and all monetary donations. We served over 100 Rare Breed youth, young adults and their families. Not only did we serve delicious food, we were able to distribute care packages as well as hygiene packages. The Rare Breed clients and their families had such a wonderful time.

A young lady (who will remain anonymous) made a comment that she recently became homeless due to being aged out of the foster care system and was very scarce on community resources. She was not sure where to start. After talking to one of our volunteers, she made a list of where to start for career options, housing assistance, and other community outreach programs. As she was getting her care packages, she came back up to the check in system and began to thank us. She said this is the first time since being on the streets that she felt like she was worthy and could get back on her feet. She participated in the Project Dreamweaver and was going to go to the Career Center to see what training she needed to get started on becoming a medical assistant. She gave me a hug and said the greatest gift she received that day was not the clothes or the food or the care packages (she was thankful for all those of course) but she said that HOPE was the greatest gift that Building Bridges-Hand In Hand and our amazing volunteer’s had given her!!!

Project Dreamweaver

At our block party, BBHIH kicked off our exciting new program, Project Dreamweaver. We were able to have the kick off thanks to Springfield Sertoma Club’s donation from the Springfield Prom King and Queen contest. Thanks to our winner (and board member) Levi Wilson and his beautiful wife Sara, we raised over $500 with an additional $200 from Sertoma Club. Project Dreamweaver is a program to take at-risk youth and young adults out in our community to give them a chance to meet with different people of different careers and occupations, in a safe and fun environment. Alot of these participants have been told everything from ‘they are not good enough to become anything to that they are so worthless that they WONT ever be good enough to even be a janitor. They have been abused physically, mentally and sexually. They have been victims of human-trafficking and domestic assault. We want to show these participants that they ARE good enough, and that they can become anything they want with ambition, hard work , and determination.

Thank you to Jessica with Prime Inc, Marsha (traveling nurse) and Darcey and Tiffany with the Band Darcey & Tiffany. You each helped give hope and determination to so many individuals and we cannot say thank you enough to being a part of this amazing program.