Community Bridges is important to me because...
"...they teach us how to be good women when we grow up." 		 
At Least 800 Reasons to Celebrate [En Español]

Community Bridges Marks First Decade of Service
Sherry Marshall, Deputy Executive Director

Ten years ago, Naomi Nim and Mary Freeman recognized that low-income and immigrant girls in the Silver Spring area had critical needs that were not being addressed by the schools or the community. Putting their concern and their passion into action, they created the Jump Start Girls! Adelante Ninas! leadership and empowerment program. The rest is history (and a lot of hard work).

During that decade, more than 800 girls have participated in our programs (we encourage girls to stay involved from year to year, so this figure includes each year a participant is with us).

We’ve had many reasons to celebrate over the years, but our official tenth anniversary was especially meaningful. It brought together many of the people who believe in our mission, and help us fulfill it – Board members past and present, state and county officials, teachers, principals, funders, sponsors, supporters and staff members.

Executive Director Ana Lopez set the tone for the evening by asking, “How are we in Montgomery County preserving girlness? How are we as a community responding to the complex and unique needs of the diverse girls going through our school system, living in our communities, and developing into women who will become the future mothers, colleagues, and leaders of our community?” It is this perspective that will guide us as we begin our second decade of service.

We were honored to receive a proclamation from County Executive Isiah Leggett, presented by Bruce Adams. Lilian Cruz spoke on the behalf of U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen. June Mickens, CAO, Social and Scientific Systems, addressed the importance of business and nonprofit organizations to work together. Board chair Molly Knopf recognized the outstanding community support, including that of outgoing Board member Jacqueline Samuda, whose daughter was one of the original participants in the Jump Start! program.

We were also honored to present our “Phenomenal Woman” awards to Valerie Ervin, Montgomery County Councilmember, and Nancy Navarro, President of the Montgomery County Board of Education, for their support and inspiration to the girls who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Although we are always aware that we could not do our work without the support of the community, the anniversary celebration gave that support a new dimension and a lot of energy. It inspired all of us to continue to our work to bring change, one girl at a time.

Special thanks to the sponsors who contributed to the success of our Tenth Anniversary Celebration:
Platinum
Dianne Gilbert – Comcast
Eliot Pfanstiehl – Music Center at Strathmore

Gold
Dr. Thomas Chapman – The HSC Foundation
Wendy Patten – Open Society Institute

Bronze
Michelle Freeman – The Carl M. Freeman Foundation
Jere Stocks – Washington Adventist Hospital

Friends
June Mickens – Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.
Carmen Camacho – Bud Miller Associates



A “Jump Start” to the Future
The growth of Community Bridges has come from responding, to the extent of our resources, to the needs expressed to us by the community. Over the years we have expanded from one school to eight – three elementary schools, four middle schools, and one high school. This year we are serving more than 160 girls. Programs have expanded to include the L.U.N.A. program for recent immigrant middle-school girls, the Dream Catchers mentoring program for eighth-grade girls, and the Outdoor Adventure Summer Camp. As the only organization in the community that works solely with low-income girls from diverse backgrounds, we will continue our work to ensure that our programs respond to the changing needs in the community.

Celebrating 10 Years of Developing Leaders Among Young Girls
1997: Community Bridges founded by Naomi Nim and Mary Freeman

1998: Jump Start Girls! ?delante Ni?s! launched at Silver Spring International and Eastern Middle Schools

1999: Washington Area Women’s Foundation Leadership Award

2000: Daily Points of Light Award for commitment to youth

2001: Three participants of Jump Start Girls!?delante Ni?s! win school awards for outstanding academic achievement and citizenship

2002: Jump Start Girls! ?delante Ni?s! begins serving girls at Rolling Terrace and Oakview Elementary

2003: Certificate of Recognition & Appreciation from Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan

2004: Dream Catchers and L.U.N.A. programs created in response to community needs

2005: Named one of “40 for a Better Future” by Washingtonian magazine

2006: Received the Spirit of Giving Award from the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region

2007: Community Bridges celebrates 10 years of empowering young women