Great Barrington — Multicultural BRIDGE (Berkshire Resources for Integration of Diverse Groups and Education) celebrated its recent move to new headquarters on Thursday, May 22, with a ribbon-cutting event.
For much of its 18 years of operation, the organization, founded by Gwendolyn VanSant, operated from offices in Lee. For the past two years, the organization rented out a building at 965 Main Street.
In February, BRIDGE announced that it would move its programs to the building it calls the Solidarity House.
According to the organization’s website, Multicultural BRIDGE “connects vulnerable community members with key resources and networks, while also providing education to local institutions and the community at large.” The nonprofit organization offers multiple programs and community services.
“I’m very excited that we have this building, and it feels like this event is important for BRIDGE,” organization founder and CEO VanSant told The Berkshire Edge. “I’m happy for people seeing how the project has developed. We’ve had about three and a half months to be in this space and build out the different programs. For Multicultural BRIDGE, this building gives us a sense of stability and sustainability. It helps us provide services for our community and fulfill our mission.”
VanSant said the Solidarity House will help the organization provide multiple resources for the community. “We see this building as healing justice,” VanSant said. “People can come here to find personal healing, and also restorative projects for the community. We hold retreats and provide safety and sanctuary for different families. This is a resource for the community focused on healing communities of color. At BRIDGE, we strongly believe and uphold that when we protect the most vulnerable, it’s good for the entire community.”
Asked how the organization is faring, VanSant responded, “We’re stressed out.” “While it’s important to celebrate today, all of the executive orders [from the Trump administration] impact BRIDGE,” she said. “This includes the orders around DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), climate resilience, and nonprofits in general. We have been planning and we are continuing ahead, but our future is precarious because we aren’t backing down from the work that we do and the language that we use. The community must know there is a safe place for people who look like them, who have had similar experiences, and know that there are resources that are trauma informed and culture specific. So we have no choice but to plug ahead as a nonprofit. We’ve been and with our mission, and doing it carefully but clearly, so that people know where they can get help.”
“While it feels like our future is precarious, I’m grateful that we have partners who have been able to help us with any financial stopgap,” VanSant added. “But we need sustainable solutions for the threats that are coming.”
“This Solidarity House is a major step forward for our organization,” said BRIDGE Board Chair Wesaline Gadson. “We do so much for the Berkshire community, and having the space to do what it is that we do, including serving people, it’s wonderful. There is nothing like BRIDGE in Berkshire County. There is a very substantial value that BRIDGE adds to the communities of color, including being able to have resources and services that are often lost for various cultural groups.”
“Multicultural BRIDGE is more important than ever,” said singer Wanda Houston. “We’re in a time where there are people who are trying to pull away resources to organizations that provide kindness to others. Hate is something that has always been present in the world, and we need something to counter all of that.”
“This Solidarity House is a place for belonging and a hub for the community,” said State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District). “This is a beacon of hope for so many.”
Rep. Davis called Multicultural BRIDGE “a connector for people who are seeking support, mentorship, and a sense of belonging.” “This organization is a hub that is so needed in many communities,” she said. “Multural BRIDGE has always provided a heart and a hub on a spiritual level for so many residents in Berkshire County.”
For more information about Multicultural BRIDGE, visit its website.
