Building Opportunities, Bridging Communities
Building Bridges 2021 Annual Report
Our Mission & Vision
Despite the challenges we faced in 2021, we stayed focused on our mission and vision for the future – a future in which the residents East of the Anacostia River experience vital, thriving communities characterized by social, cultural, economic and racial equity.
Dear Friends,
At Building Bridges Across the River, we connect residents East of the Anacostia River to world class programs and services. The multi-sector collaboration we facilitate connects community members to the critical resources they need. We will continue to provide resources for economic opportunity, health and well-being, and engagement with arts to our community.
Thanks to our network of deeply engaged givers and public servants, we were able to continue our work during the pandemic, providing critical resources such as vaccines and groceries. We will continue this work because the people in our community deserve the best opportunities to succeed in this continuously shifting environment.
The work we do is deeply needed and as we faced new challenges, formed new partnerships, and began reopening our campuses in 2021, we stayed focused on our vision for the future – a future in which the residents East of the Anacostia River experience vital, thriving communities characterized by social, cultural, economic and racial equity.
Rashaan Bernard
President
Building Bridges Across the River
In 2021, we stayed focused on 3 intersecting areas to build bridges to a more equitable Washington, DC:
Arts &
Culture
Building Bridges to innovative, homegrown artistic and cultural experiences East of the River
11
Virtual Production Experiences were produced and presented by THEARC Theater in 2021.
Taste of the Harvest
The 11th Street Bridge Park team engaged 430 neighbors in programming celebrating the history, culture, and power of the community through events like the annual Taste of the Harvest Festival.
iCAN interns successfully completed 140 hours of virtual & in-person instruction and 60 hours of Professional Production Designer training.
Economic
Opportunity
Building Bridges to education pathways, affordable housing, and sustainable employment East of the River
$100,000
invested in artist fees and products, which elevated Black and Brown creatives, production designers, and entrepreneurs through THEARC Theater’s community programming.
736
job seekers received workforce development related services at the Skyland Workforce Center.
“The Skyland Workforce Center is a good stepping stone to fulfill the dreams of people. This program is a blessing!”- Padrica Hill
Health &
Wellbeing
Building Bridges to a resilient food network and access to urban agriculture education East of the River
96
pounds of shiitake mushrooms harvested from the logs we inoculated in 2020.
3,756
pounds of fruits and vegetables grown in our network of seven (7) urban farms and gardens throughout Southeast, DC.
7 Farms
Supported a network of seven (7) farms in SE, DC, including Nats Park, providing fresh and healthy food to the community.
2021 Highlights & Partnerships
Financials
Donors
Thank you to all of our donors and supporters for continuing to build bridges with us. Your commitment helps build thriving communities East of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC.
Despite the challenges, Building Bridges Across the River leveraged our resources and partnerships to rise to the challenges of the moment.
Like so many other non-profit organizations, we continued to pivot in 2021 to respond to our communities’ needs. We became a humanitarian hub, powered by the resilience of our community, and we will continue to adapt as we rebuild and recover together.