A typical gift for a second anniversary is cotton or china. While the HopeNet BridgesICT initiative may not receive either of those gifts, what they will receive are emails and phone calls asking for Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, asking how to set up Getting Ahead classes, information on available grant applications, and a cadre of people in the city that are ready and willing to help the initiative continue to grow.
What started as a conversation around a table is blossoming into a movement, one that is changing lives and mindsets. When the HopeNet Wichita board agreed to make the BridgesICT initiative part of their mission, they had one full-time employee and one full-time volunteer. Two years later, there are six employees and dozens of volunteers making community connections, teaching how to have successful Getting Ahead classes, providing Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, and working on Staying Ahead options for Getting Ahead graduates.
Have there been lessons learned? Yes! Have there been big and small wins? Yes! Have there been sleepless nights and tired bodies? Yes! With the goal of working in the 10 poorest zip codes in the city within 10 years, there isn’t time to slow down. With 1,000 people hearing the Bridges Out of Poverty: Individual Lens workshop over the past two years and 150 new Getting Ahead graduates in the city, you can feel the rumblings of real and sustainable change. Between now and the end of 2025, there will be six Getting Ahead classes graduating and five more ready to begin in January.
Happy anniversary, HopeNet BridgesICT! Cheers to many more!
HopeNet is a faith-based nonprofit organization that transforms lives through coaching and counseling. For 30 years, HopeNet has provided mental health services based on clients’ ability to pay—all made possible by donor support. Learn more about HopeNet Wichita at https://www.hopenetwichita.org.
