Current Projects
Resource Bags
The Bridge Beyond Outreach Team has thoughtfully curated Resource Bags to distribute to those experiencing homelessness. These bags include essentials like a durable, custom-printed Nalgene water bottle, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, socks, and soap. The bags also include a resource card that contains information about valuable organizations within the Pittsburgh area. The Outreach Team has since begun donating Resource Bags to local shelters and other nonprofits for distribution. Additionally, our Outreach Team members have spare Resource Bags on hand for on the go distribution.
Mediterra Bakery
We’ve partnered with Mediterra Bakery, a local bakery located in Pittsburgh, PA. They’re known for baking their bread through the original French method and only using natural sourdough starters called levain instead of yeast. On a weekly schedule, our members pick up the excess bread and pastries they bake and drop them off to other shelters for donation. You can follow their social media below!
Instagram: @Mediterrabakehouse
Facebook: @MediterraBakehouse
Twitter: @MediterraBake
The Red Door Ministry
The Red Door Ministry is where all are welcome, no questions asked, to receive a free bagged lunch daily. Their mission has been the same since the Great Depression, and we are honored to be working with such an amazing group. On a weekly basis, we have been taking bread and pastry donations from Mediterra and dropping them off to Red Door Ministry so they can distribute baked goods in their lunch bags.
Rainbow Kitchen
As eloquently stated on the Rainbow Kitchen website, “Since 1984, Rainbow Kitchen Community Services has been a strong and reliable source of aid for those in need – and today, our help is needed more than ever! In these challenging economic times, Rainbow Kitchen provides a vital safety net for hungry children, struggling families, low-income elderly and disabled individuals, and people who are homeless, unemployed, or among the working poor.”
Bridge Beyond is excited to partner with Rainbow Kitchen. Currently, Bridge Beyond is accepting donations of baked goods from Mediterra Bakery and delivering them to Rainbow Kitchen once a week. Going forward, we plan to volunteer at Rainbow Kitchen and work to best support their efforts!
Bridge Beyond Directory
Professional social resource navigators are burdened with limited resources and an ever-increasing caseload. We are in the process of creating a robust, flexible, and user-friendly online directory of resources and distributing this tool to the community. The Bridge Beyond Directory will be an invaluable tool for social resource navigators to connect individuals and families to the most suitable resource for their needs. Thanks to our college students, the directory will be frequently fact-checked and updated.
Outreach Levels
Different volunteer opportunities
We have designed a three-tiered volunteer program. The three levels are based on varying degrees of involvement with people experiencing homelessness.
Level 1: Indirect Involvement
The first level is “Indirect involvement.” This consists of necessary behind-the-scenes work such as keeping our online directory up to date, assembling supply bags to be handed out later, or picking up and collecting donated items. This level is for people who have a limited amount of time to commit or for whatever reason can not commit to more involved volunteering.
Level 2: Moderate Involvement
The second level is “Moderate involvement.” This level provides volunteer opportunities to those who want to be more hands-on but do not have the time to commit to long-term volunteer work. Bridge Beyond helps provide volunteers from colleges to local organizations. These volunteers do tasks such as clean up trash, serve food, or help individuals fill out paperwork. Other work involves distributing supply bags and food to people experiencing homelessness.
Level 3: Long-term Direct Involvement
The third level is “long-term direct involvement.” Bridge Beyond defines this as people who help individuals experiencing homelessness navigate systematic organizations. For example, an individual may be seeking affordable healthcare clinics but are unsure of where to go. A Bridge Beyond member can help connect them with a free health clinic in their area. The third level is reserved for experienced volunteers and requires an extensive time commitment.
Each level has specific requirements that volunteers must fulfill in order to volunteer through Bridge Beyond. These requirements include but are not limited to time commitment, previous volunteer experience, and Bridge Beyond outreach training.
Volunteers who meet the requirements for level 1 outreach cannot move onto level 2 outreach until they complete the specified requirements.
Volunteers who meet the requirements for level 2 can freely participate in level 1 but cannot move onto level 3 outreach until they complete the necessary training.
Volunteers who meet the requirements for level 3 can freely participate in the other two levels.
Volunteer with us! How you can help