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| Briefs from The Bridge
~September/October 2015 |
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Tilden Gardens Officially Opens with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
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| The opening of Tilden Gardens, The Bridge's newest supportive housing program, was made official with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 30th. Eighty people attended the ceremony, which included a program featuring speakers from agencies critical to the development of the residence, such as the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York City Department of Homeless Services, and Enterprise Community Partners. The ribbon cutting was followed by tours of the building and a special lunch prepared by young adults enrolled in a vocationally-focused culinary training program offered to Tilden Gardens tenants.
The Bridge's first residence in Brooklyn, Tilden Gardens is home to 45 adults and 15 young adults (ages 18 to 24) with a history of homeless and mental illness. The residence provides around-the-clock staffing, case management, and special programming to help tenants gain essential life skills and prepare to move on to more independent living.
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| The Bridge Encourages Wellness with Healthy Living Workshops |
| The Bridge, in partnership with The Horticultural Society of New York, is providing healthy living workshops this fall. Open to all Bridge clients and taking place at our urban farms, these hands-on classes teach participants easy and fun ways to prepare foods and personal care products using natural, healthy ingredients. Fresh produce grown on the farms is incorporated into lessons and clients learn about the nutrients and versatility of the fruits, vegetables, and herbs they encounter. Recent workshops included pickling, making pesto, and using herbs to brew teas and make lip balms.
People living with mental illness are more likely to be obese than the general population and often suffer from chronic physical health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. These workshops will aid Bridge clients in improving their overall health by teaching them how to incorporate fresh produce into their diet and develop healthy living habits. |
| | Peter Beitchman House Unveils Redesigned Garden |
| | | Peter Beitchman House, home to 24 adults with mental illness, many of them over 65, now has a beautiful, redesigned garden area for tenants to enjoy.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Mulford Foundation, the residence's garden area has been enhanced to make the backyard more attractive and accessible, especially for older adults. Both the backyard redesign and installation were completed by Sal Bacarella of Garden Works, who kindly donated many of the plants now growing there.
The tenants take pride in and enjoy maintaining the beautiful space. At the dedication ceremony for the backyard, Maurice, a tenant in the building and one of the garden volunteers, expressed his appreciation: "I take pride in my job and enjoy cleaning the backyard, watering the plants, and tending to the garden. It is a beautiful space for me, my peers, and our guests to relax. I look forward to our first barbecue in the new backyard and many other new memories in the future."
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| | Please Join Us! PaintNite Evening Fundraiser |
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Join us for an evening of painting, wine, and fun! Participants will paint their very own version of this painting with the help of a professional artist. No experience required! |
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Thursday, October 29th The Bridge: 248 West 108th Street Reception at 6:30 pm Painting at 7:30 pm
Refreshments Will Be Served |
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