AW Neighborhood Bridges Helps Students, Families

BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — As Anthony Wayne Neighborhood Bridges directors Anne Stevens and Amy Barrett spread the word about the program that provides the community with an opportunity to help students and families in need, the reaction is often the same – disbelief.

“They say, ‘Anthony Wayne?’ like it’s a surprise,” Stevens said.

A national organization, Neighborhood Bridges is a nonprofit that has advocates in each school district to identify and post needs – such as for food, clothing, housing assistance, furniture or other emergency need – so that community members who subscribe to the program can help as they are able or wish.

The goal is to eliminate barriers that might prevent a student from succeeding in school and in life, Barrett said.

Springfield Local Schools and Perrysburg City Schools districts have Neighborhood Bridges programs, and Anthony Wayne joined the program last year. A 2023-24 school year “kindness scoreboard” distributed by the AW Neighborhood Bridges team shows that community members assisted in 52 cases, impacting 1,416 students and their families by giving $31,584.11 in goods and services.

“By doing Neighborhood Bridges, we knew we could fill those gaps,” Barrett said.

District social worker Rebecca Hrcka learns of needs through students, teachers and families. Every school administrator, counselor and nurse is trained as an advocate, she said, adding that every need is vetted before being considered for the Neighborhood Bridges program.

Once a valid need is established, Hrcka passes along the information to Stevens and Barrett, who send out a request to the 456 subscribers through email. Those who feel like helping can do so by dropping off clothes at one of several bins in the community, or by providing funding through the Anthony Wayne Neighborhood Bridges website. That process builds in confidentiality for the students’ families.

“What’s been most amazing is that most of those needs don’t make it past 12:30 p.m. on the day of posting,” Hrcka said, thanking the subscribers for their quick response for filling student needs.

The social worker also shared that she was surprised that families are comfortable enough to share their concerns with her and other staff members. Most of the requests are for basic needs like food and clothing, but others have involved pest control to keep students living safely at home, paying for driving school or – because of cuts to district funding – paying the pay-to-play fee for student-athletes. The program also helped pay for end-of-the-year fees and graduation needs.

“Neighborhood Bridges has been a one-stop place for community members to put funds toward those who have a need, instead of having to figure out how to help someone on their own,” Hrcka said.

Through this first year, Neighborhood Bridges also teamed up to take over the Zion United Methodist Church’s Holiday Help program, serving 96 Whitehouse students with gifts and food for the holidays. 

“We have found some amazing opportunities to partner with others,” Hrcka noted, referring to churches and other organizations that have stepped in. 

When a family needed a new furnace during the cold winter months, not only did the community step up to buy the needed part, but a team of experts also volunteered to install it – all within 48 hours.

At times, some of the needs are broader than a one-time purchase, and Hrcka can provide referrals to other agencies to provide ongoing help.

The goal for the coming year is to expand the number of subscribers so Neighborhood Bridges can eventually fulfill more community needs, not just those of students and their families.

“We need to increase our subscribers substantially to do that,” Barrett said. “If we do expand, we would need help from the faith community and senior citizens.”

The district’s residents include 72 percent who do not have children in the school system, Stevens noted. Many retirees, including those who used to be teachers, are grateful for an opportunity to safely support children and families in the community, she added.

To learn more about the program, visit www.neighborhoodbridges.org/community/anthonywayne To subscribe, enter an email address. The program is also on Facebook. For questions, email [email protected].